


Between the Waters and the Sand

by oxiosa



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Latin Hetalia - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, mermaid!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-04-02 23:03:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 24,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4077145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oxiosa/pseuds/oxiosa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was strange, Luciano thought, how time could change so many things. How silly little boys could turn into daring young men. How friends could grow apart and then back together. How he could look to Martín and see the same cheeky merboy he knew years ago and yet feel something else, something completely new and different he didn't quite understood himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Between the Waters and the Sand

**Author's Note:**

> Disclamer; the characters used in this work belong to the community Latin Hetalia and their respective creators. More info about them in the following link > www.latin-hetalia.livejournal.com
> 
> Argentina: Martín.  
> Brazil: Luciano Da Silva.

There were things Luciano Da Silva knew about the ocean that many people ignored. He was the son of a fisherman and a future fisherman himself, and as one, he had learnt the secrets of the sea even before his fingers were strong enough to hold a fishing rod and his legs sturdy enough to get into a boat.

The sea was a beautiful generous source. Luciano knew that. His town and its people wouldn't had endured if it wasn't for it. Kids played in the clear waters, lovers kissed as the sun set in its horizon, fishermen and their families fed and made their living out of it. Luciano couldn't consider life without the ocean - wasn't sure he would like to live in a world without endless waters full of life, light and colour.

But where there's light, there's also darkness.

The ocean was also a cruel awful foe, Luciano knew that too. The sunlight that played in the surface with the waves and the sea foam wasn't strong enough to reach the ocean's depths. Luciano had heard of the fierceness of the sea storms, the capriciousness of the tides, the creatures that swam and hunt sailors from the dark.

His father had warned him about the ocean's dangers. Every night he had sat at his bed and had spoken about its cruelty, about the creatures that lived in the depths. And Luciano had listened, dark wide eyes and tight fist clinging to his bedsheets, taking in every word that came out of his father's lips. He had spoken about giant fish - eels that could swallow men alive and squids that could sinks whole ships -, about giant sea turtles that carried island on their backs, about sea spirits that drove sailors mad with their moaning. About mermaids, and the sea people.

The last kind was the most feared one by sailors; half-human half-fish demons that dragged men to the depths of the sea and feasted on their flesh. Silent, fast, cunning, and vicious. His father had told him that if he encounter a mermaid, the only thing left to do was pray it was a quick painless death, and Luciano had gasped and hidden under his bedsheets.

Luciano was the son of a fisherman, a future fisherman himself. He listened to his father's words, and took them as part of his legacy, part of his future.

It was almost funny how when time came to test his knowledge, he forgot everything his father had ever taught him.

 

* * *

 

"Here, here, I'm open! I'm open!"

Luciano dodged a defender from the other team. He ran, and raised his head from the ball to see other two boys running towards him. He stopped his race and kicked the ball to one of his teammates.

"There it goes!" he cried.

He watched the other boy stopped the ball with his chest and let it fall gently to the ground. Luciano smiled breathlessly and ran after him as they made their way to the other team's goal.

"Luciano!"

The scream came from Luciano's back, and it was a voice a little to deep to belong to one of the boys playing with him. He stopped in his tracks, and turned to the person calling for him. The rest of the boys stopped playing as well; a group of older boys interrupted their little street-football match.

"Hi, guys!" Luciano waved at them as he recognize Felipe and his gang.

Felipe was a tall roguish 16 year old with sparkly malicious eyes, bright red hair and freckled cheeks. He was the baker's only son, and the king of the streets; he was admired by kids his age, who would follow after him, and feared and hated by younger children and adults, who were usually the targets of his not-so-innocent pranks.

Luciano was the only exception. He was the only 8 year old in town who wasn't afraid of Felipe and his friends. Felipe had only bothered him once in his short life; it had happened when Luciano was a little younger, that Felipe had stolen his father's old leather ball from him. Luciano had turned home empty handed, and had explained what had happened when his parents asked about it. Luciano's father had stomped out of their house and into the baker's, and since then Felipe had started behaving much nicely to Luciano, inviting him to play with him and his gang every now and then - curiously enough, whenever Luciano happen to bring his ball to town.

"Hey, Luciano," Felipe gave him a mischievous smirk. "We're heading to the beach, we thought maybe you'll like to tag along?"

"Sure!" Luciano beamed and turned to his friends. "Guys, do you wanna come?"

His friends shook their heads, excusing themselves as they cautiously cleared the street. Luciano shrug it off and picked his ball from the floor. He ran after Felipe and the rest, who already made their way down the street without even waiting for him.

"Where are we going?" Luciano asked when he reached the only boy who stood behind for him.

"There's a beach no one ever visits to the south," the boy answered.

His name was Virgilio. He was a scrawny 13 year old with an easy smile and curly dark hair, taller than most of the boys his age and nicer than most of them too. He was kind to Luciano, the only one who actually listened patiently to his childish rants and talked back to him.

Luciano pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"Isn't that the Bay of the Drowned?" he asked.

Virgilio gave him a devilish wide smile.

The Bay of the Drowned was a small beach a couple of kilometres away from town. Not much people dared to go there; fishermen's boat sunk inexplicably and even the most skilled sailors disappeared in the ocean. Some people said those were cursed waters, some others said sea monsters inhabited its depths.

But Felipe and his friends were young and reckless - and so was Luciano -, and visiting a cursed bay seemed like the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

It took them some minutes of walking though a forgotten path through the jungle to get to the bay, huge leaves and all kind of plants getting in their way and tangling around their legs. The boys joked and pranked each other through the whole trip, and Luciano laughed with them.

"We're here!" Felipe, who was leading the way, suddenly screamed.

They made their way to a desolated beach. It wasn't that big, surrounded by big rock hills. The sand was white and warm, and the waters were clear and clean.  
It seemed harmless enough.

"Race to the sea!" a voice screamed.

The boys answered with a roar of laughter, and stripped from their clothes as they ran to the water. Luciano run after them in a fit of giggles. They swam and splashed and wrestled until they were too tired to keep on fooling around. They laid on the sand, letting the sun dry and warm up their naked skin.

Luciano laid with them and listened as they talked and joked, and wrinkled his nose when the older boys of the group started talking about girls. Luciano didn't care which girl had the biggest breasts in town, neither did he want to know what Felipe and the butcher's eldest daughter did in the backyard of the town's church. He stood up, put on his breeches and grabbed his ball. He walked costing the sea until he couldn't hear their gossip anymore, and he started playing on his own, kicking the ball in the air and running after it.

"Eh, Luciano!" a voice called after him. "Here!"

Luciano turned around to see Virgilio and a couple of boys running towards him, waving at him. Luciano smiled, and passed the ball to them.

Soon, the rest of the boys joined them, preferring Luciano's old ball over Felipe's - doubtfully veracious - story. They played a little match on the sand, marking the goals' limits by throwing some shirts on the sand. Luciano laughed and ran, sweating under the sun. He was small and fast, hard to mark and grab due to his short height and petite size. He got little chances to get the ball - he called for it, but Felipe and his friends usually ignored him in the thrill of the match - but when Virgilio did passed him the ball, Luciano almost scored, if it wasn't for the defender of the other team that shoved him straight to the ground a little to forcefully. Luciano didn't mind. He was having too much fun to. He cleaned the sand off his nose and stood back up, already running and screaming after the ball.

The laughing turned into a disappointed grunt when the ball flew through the air and deep into the sea.

"My ball!" Luciano cried in horror.

He ran into the water and headed to the sea. Virgilio called for him, but no one tried to stop him. The waves crashed against his chest and pushed him back, patient and constant, persuading him to go back to the safety of mainland. It was getting harder to walk as he got further into the ocean.

"Wait!" he screamed for his ball as he watched it helplessly drift into the open sea. "Come back!"

A wave crashed against his head, and Luciano coughed and gasped for air as more water swallowed him whole. He backed away, defeated; it was impossible for him to fight against the tide. He got out of the water, soaked wet and pouting.

Some of the boys patted his back and ruffled his hair, whispering comforting hollow words as they gather their things from the sand. Soon they went back into joking, laughing and punching each other as they headed back from where they arrived, forgetting about Luciano and his loss.

"Come on, Luciano, we're leaving!" Virgilio called.

Luciano pouted at the sea. He turned around and walked after the rest of the boys - who were already heading back to town several meters away from him - dragging his feet in the sand with his head down. As he left, he gave his ball one last look over his shoulder.

He was taken aback to see a blond boy staring back at him, round bare shoulders barely sticking out of the water.

Luciano blinked surprised. His childish brain barely had a couple of seconds to wonder where did he came from before he looked down to the boy's hands.

"My ball!" Luciano cried as a wide smile spread across his face.

He rushed back to the water, forgetting about Felipe and Virgilio and the rest - who had already forgotten about Luciano as well. The blond boy remained still in place, watching silently as Luciano struggled against the tide to get to him.

"My ball," Luciano repeated with a bright smile once he was right in front of the boy.

Luciano reached his hands out, and let out an offended gasp when the blond boy possessively pulled the ball closer to himself, sheltering it away from Luciano with his body, a firm pout on his lips.

Luciano frowned and gritted his teeth.

"It's _mine_!" he shrieked furiously. "Give it back!"

He reached out and took his ball in his arms, and pulled. The blond boy pursed his lips, bright green eyes sparkling displeased, and pulled back. Luciano clung to his toy, letting himself be drag into the sea by the other boy. He refused to let go, even when his feet couldn't find any sand below them anymore.

"Let go!" he shouted as he tried to kick him.

The blond boy stopped pulling, but didn't let go. He frowned as his eyes darkened.

"It's my ball!" Luciano said angrily. "You can't- _ow_!"

A big fish tails came out of nowhere and hit Luciano straight in the face. Luciano yelped in pain and let go of his ball in surprise. The blond boy took the chance to pull back and away from Luciano's reach with a triumphant loud laugh.

"Hey!" Luciano called, barely keeping himself afloat. "Come ba-!"

One big wave swallowed him whole and dragged him to shore. Luciano rolled around salty water and harsh sand until his body met the wet sand of the beach. He coughed for some air, and raised his head towards the sea. The blond boy stared back at him, floating with Luciano's ball closely pressed to his chest. He gave Luciano a big smug smile. Then, he turned around and jumped into a wave, disappearing in the water.

The last thing Luciano could see of him, was a big silver fish tail.

 

* * *

 

Luciano's parents grounded him when they found out about his lost ball - a whole week without beach nor hangouts. Luciano looked down at the floor and accepted his punishment quietly. He decided to keep to himself his adventure in Bay of the Drowned and his encounter with the merboy. Not because he thought his parents wouldn't believe him; Luciano knew they would. His father was a fisherman, a sailor, and his mother was a superstitious woman. They would believe him, he had no doubt. Luciano kept it a secret because he knew that if his parents found out a mermaid had stolen his ball and nearly dragged him into sea, they would banned him from leaving the house ever again.

And that would be inconvenient, since Luciano planned to get his ball back.

 

* * *

 

He waited the whole week his parents had grounded him, and when he finally was allowed to the sea again, he marched to the Bay of the Drowned with a fishing rod and a bag full of fish bait and food.

Even at his very young age, Luciano considered himself an experimented fisherman - he came from a long family of fishermen, his father had taught him every thing he knew so he could take after his father's business the same way all the Da Silva men had done before - but he wasn't sure what kind of bait would lure a mermaid to his fishhook. So he brought the usual bait, and some food too. Mermaid were half fish, half human creatures, so Luciano thought that maybe regular bait wouldn't work on him.  
He tried with the fish bait first. He threw his bait to the sea as far as he could, and sat on the warm sand to wait.

An hour and three fish later, Luciano decided to change his strategy.

He took a pastel from his bag; part of last nights dinner, and hopefully, good mermaid bait. He gave it a bite, before piercing through it with his fishhook. Then, he threw it back to the water and waited some more.

After 20 minutes of nothing, a light pull on the string of his rod made Luciano let out a triumphant laugh.

"Gottcha!"

The next pull was slightly stronger. Luciano let out a light grunt, and pulled back. Soon, Luciano was digging his heels in the sand as the creature on the other side of the rod pulled of him, dragging him into the water. Luciano was waist-deep into the sea, when the string went completely still.

"What...?" he blinked in disbelief, and relaxed his muscles. Then, he frowned. "Dammit!"

It had gotten away. Luciano let out a curse under his breath, and turn around to reach for some more food.

The strong pull from his rod took him completely by surprise, and threw him flat on his face and into the water.

Luciano emerged out of the ocean coughing and spitting salty water. As he tried to get the water out of his system, he heard a loud devilish laugh not so far away from him. He raised his head, and his eyes met the blond merboy a couple of meters away from him. The boy gave him the most annoying, most malicious smile someone had ever given him.  
Luciano frowned and gritted his teeth, feeling his face heating up with anger and humiliation. He stood up and yelled some curses that would had made his mother ground him for a whole month, and then stomped out of the sea, fusing.

He didn't need this. He didn't need a stupid fish stealing from him and then toying with him. He had already been grounded over losing his father's old ball, and he could always play with one of the balls of the kids from town, so this was useless.

The smack in the back of his head took him completely by surprise, and made him yelp and jump in pain. He turned around, ready to curse some more, but got distracted with what a wave brushed to his feet.

"My ball!" Luciano cried.

He picked his ball from the sand, and looked up to the sea. The blond merboy curiously looked back at him, bright attentive eyes fixed on him. Luciano couldn't help to frowned and press his lips in a pout. He hugged his ball tightly to his chest, and, shooting the creature one last cold glare, stomped back to town without looking back.

As he marched, he could feel the boy's stare on the back of his head.

 

* * *

 

Luciano didn't return to the Bay of the Drowned for the rest of the day. His mother was surprised to see him return with his ball, and when she asked how did he got it back, Luciano answered he had found it in the beach, that the sea must had washed it back to shore during the night.

Luciano didn't think about the merboy either, until night came and he was laying in bed. He had stolen his ball the first time they met, and had hit Luciano really hard in the face with his tails and had nearly drowned him too. But he had returned the ball in the end - even if he hit him again while doing so. So maybe he just had wanted to borrow it? Maybe he was bored. Maybe he was lonely. Maybe he had no one to play with.

Maybe they had no balls undersea.

The thought saddened him deeply.

 

* * *

 

The following morning, Luciano headed back to the merboy's bay. He carried under his arm his leather ball, and some snacks he stole from the kitchen despite knowing it would cost him a scolding later.

He walked costing the sea, letting the waves caress his feet as they washed into the sand. He looked into the open sea, wide and clear and beautiful, and squinted. No tail nor blond head popped out of the water.

Luciano decided to explore the bay. He made his way to a row of big rocks that ventured into the sea. He climbed and skipped around them, being careful not to step over slimy seaweed nor slippery wet rock. When he got to the last rock, he dropped himself on his butt, and watched.

He sighed pleased at the sound of the waves gently crushing against the rocks a couple of meters below him. He closed his eyes with a smile, and raised his head to the sun, feeling its warm rays on his skin. Luciano gently laid on his back, his feet hanging loosely over the edge of the rock, letting the water splash them as the waves crashed against stone.

He might have doze off like that, for some minutes at least.

When he opened his eyes again, he let out a low gasp at the upside-down sight of the blond merboy sitting on the farthest corner of the rock, staring with big curious eyes. Luciano blinked at him, too surprised to move. Gently and without breaking eye contact, he twisted and rested his upper body on his right forearm, straightening up. The merboy watched him with cautious eyes, following his every move. He didn't move nor did he make any attempt to flee, which brought a smile to Luciano's face.

"Hi..." he said. "I'm Luciano..."

The merboy frowned slightly, and pressed his lips together. He opened his mouth, and said something in a weird language Luciano had never head before, full of musical strong consonants that almost didn't sounded human.

"Oh..." Luciano hadn't seen that one coming. "Can't you talk Portuguese? Mmh, human language?"

The boy blinked back at him, and his frown deepened. He said something back, and pouted, a light blush flaming up his face. Luciano couldn't help to let out a small nervous laugh. The merboy gave him a curious look, and the corner of his lips curled upside just slightly.

Luciano laid of his back and closed his eyes again. He smiled to himself, and waited. He didn't need to open his eyes to sense the blond boy coming closer to him. When he opened his eyes again, he was barely away from him. If Luciano wanted, he could have reached an arm out and touched him with the tip of his fingers. But he didn't. Still laying down on his back, he remained completely still, and took the opportunity to have the closest look he ever had at an actual living mermaid.

Luciano was hoping to get to see claws, and webbed hands, and fangs, and gills, but the merboy looked inoffensive enough. He looked like a regular boy... his upper body, at least. His tail was long and slim, full of silver scales that reflected a blue shimmer when the light hit them. Luciano found it hard to tell where the pale skin of his belly ended and where the silver scales started, colours and textures mixing evenly. Depending how the water below them reflected the sun light against him, he could see transparent scales shining where Luciano thought there was pale skin.

Luciano was to busy taking in every detail to remember it was rude to stare - his mother would have pulled from his ear if only she was present - or to realise he was being studied with the same scrutiny. The merboy studied him back almost as indiscreetly as Luciano himself.

Luciano extended his arm over the wet rock, his palm looking up to the sky, fingers curling limpness around thin air, and then met the merboy's glance. He stared back at him, and then looked down at his hand. Luciano remained still and silent, and watched as the merboy shyly reached out his hand to place his palm over his.  
Luciano smiled warmly at him.

The meboy returned the brightest smile Luciano had ever seen.

 

* * *

 

His name was Martín, Luciano would find out with time.

Every day, Luciano would run to the bay and climb over the row of rocks. There he would sit and wait for Martín - sometimes, he would find Martín waiting for him, laying on his belly enjoying the warmth of the sun.

The place was the perfect meeting spot for both of them; it was high enough to keep them sheltered from the water, and it was easily accessible to Martín, who had a little trouble moving around sand but could climb rocks with the nimbleness of a lizard, grabbing the stone with his bare hands and dragging his lower body after him, his tail twisting and curling between the rocks like a snake.

Luciano made it his mission to teach him Portuguese, pointing at things and naming them loud and clear.

At first, Martín refused to repeat any word Luciano tried to teach him, unless Luciano repeated the words Martín tried to teach him back first. Luciano would point at something and name it, and Martín would answer with an unrepeatable sound he expected Luciano to mimic before he tried Portuguese himself. Luciano had played along, because even though Martín's language was impossible for him to pronounce, it was the only way to get Martín to willingly learn Portuguese in exchange.

It was Martín who finally gave up on trying to teach Luciano the language of his people.

"Sounds are not right," Martín had shaken his head, like he always did whenever Luciano tried to speak his language.

"You sound funny too," Luciano had pointed back unkindly.

" _I_ sound funny. You sound _bad_ ," Martín had answered proudly, hurt by Luciano's remark. "You mess sounds, you say other things. Other meanings."

Luciano tried not to let it bother him; Martín was doing him a favour by giving up on him, he was sure of it.

Since they decided Luciano was a lost cause, they focused completely in Martín's Portuguese instead. To Luciano's surprise, despite his initial reluctance, Martín took his lessons very seriously. He didn't seem to enjoy at all how much he struggled to find the words to express himself, often pursing his lips and blushing displeased middle-sentence as he searched his brain for the right words. He had taken it as a personal challenge, and kept asking for more and more words to learn. Day after day, Martín's vocabulary widened, and soon there were barely any mistakes in his speech.

Martín was a demanding student, pestering Luciano with all kind of questions. And Luciano answered as patiently and accurately as possible. He didn't mind, not that much at least. After all, Martín's obsession over his impediment was making it easier and faster for both of them to understand each other.

 

* * *

 

It took them a couple of weeks of getting to know each before Luciano felt comfortable enough to get in the water with Martín. He had being raised hearing stories about mermaids, and even if he liked to think Martín was trustworthy, the idea of getting in the water with him made Luciano feel uneasy.

The first time he jumped into the sea, an alarm rang in the back of his head. Luciano was getting into the lion's den, completely under Martín's mercy as he tried to keep himself afloat. But Martín had smiled and laughed at him, bright and happy, swimming around him keeping his distance.

"You look funny," he had pointed amused.

"Your face looks funny!" Luciano had snapped back at him, and Martín had let out a laugh as he swam effortlessly around him.

It was easy to relax after that, when Martín laughed and smiled at him like that.

They would always swim together, and with time, when Luciano felt comfortable enough, dive. Martín would grab his hand and give him a glance, and Luciano would take a deep breath and nod his head, and suddenly they were underwater. Martín would drag Luciano with his powerful tail, and take him to the bottom of the sea. Luciano would let Martín pull of him and show him around, and sometimes would let go to swim by himself - Martín fluttering around him attentively like some worried mother hen - and would point up when he felt like he was missing some air. Martín would be quick, and drag him back to the surface, where Luciano caught his breath as he laughed.

Martín had taken him to places Luciano was sure no other human had ever seen. His favourite place was a hidden cave. Martín had dragged him through an underwater tunnel, flipping his tails as hard as he could as they darted through the water hand in hand. The way was a little long, and the first time they went there Luciano almost thought he would drown. When they broke through the surface again, Luciano gasping desperately for air as they found themselves in beautiful wide cave. Tall stone walls surrounded them, but Luciano could see the clear sky and the bright sun shinning above their heads through a big opening in the cave's roof. There were some rocks sticking out of the water in the centre of the cave, a tower Luciano climbed between laughter. The water level became lower and lower around the rocks, creating a small beach where Luciano found himself being able to stand and walk around. The best part of the cave though was the amount of creatures that lived there; crabs, lobsters, sea urchins, little colourful fish, starfish, and seashells of all sizes and shapes.

That cave became their favourite diving spot. The low water and rocks aloud Luciano to walk and move on his own without Martín's help, and the deeper waters aloud Martín to swim freely.

It was perfect for them, and they had to worry about being seen even less that in the bay they had first met.

 

* * *

 

Luciano had thought a couple of time about telling his friends about Martín.

His friends and family asked where did he go when he disappeared from town, and Luciano had to bit his tongue to keep the words from escaping his lips. It seemed wrong, to talk about him. Unfair, like betraying Martín's, and for some reason Luciano didn't dare ask him if he could bring his friends to meet him. It almost seemed like their meetings were something special between just the both of them.

With the years, his little secret became easier and easier to live with, adapting and incorporating to his life. Soon, meeting with a mermaid every evening was so normal to Luciano that he lost the urge to talk about it.

 

* * *

 

"I've got something for you."

Luciano raised his head and looked at Martín with surprised eyes. He was sitting in one of the rocks of their secret cave, absently swaying his feet in the water. Martín, on the other hand, swam lazily around him.

"You do?" Luciano asked.

Martín smiled almost shyly and nodded. He dunked into the water without a word, and reappeared a couple of minutes later. He swam towards Luciano, and pulled himself out of the water to sit next to Luciano. He took his hand in his and gently placed something on Luciano's palms. He closed his fingers around it and pushed his fist to his chest. Luciano blinked at him. Then, he opened his hand and looked down.

Martín had given him a necklace. He had dried and braided thin strips of seaweed together, and had threaded through it a pearly white auger shell the size of Luciano's thumb. It was rustic, but beautiful.

"Where I come from, families are composed only by females and children," Martín explained. "Adult males leave when they come to age to roam the sea, visiting their beloved ones every now and then."

Luciano looked up to him, and listened attentively.

"When a male leaves his family, he usually trades gifts with them so they have something to hold onto while they're apart," Martín added, a little uncertain. "You're my friend, and we're always apart, so I thought I might give you something too..."

Luciano looked down at his hand again, speechless. He ran his fingers through the smooth surface of the seashell, and he realised it had small runes neatly carved in it. He took a closer looked, and tried to read the symbols.

"What do they mean?" he asked curiously.

"It's a prayer. A song for those who are away," Martín said, and gave him a shy smile. "So you won't forget me. To keep you safe from harm."

Luciano looked down at the seashell in his hand, touched. He looked up to Martín, and met his glance with guilty eyes.

"I have nothing back for you," he whispered.

"Then you're in debt with me," Martín said, and grinned maliciously.

Luciano frowned to himself, pursing his lips together in a pout.

"That's not how gifts work," he pointed.

"Maybe it's how gift work between mermaids," Martín said mysteriously. "Maybe I get your soul until you pay me back. Maybe you'll have to do as I say until we're even again."

Luciano let out a laugh.

"You're making it up!" he accused with a big smile as he pushed him.

"How would you know?" Martín teased back, smirking smugly.

Luciano opened his mouth to complain, but only a deep gasp escaped his lips as something grabbed his ankle and pulled him violently into the sea. The last thing he heard before his head was swallowed by the water, was Martín calling his name.

Luciano desperately tried to get himself back to the surface, kicking and fighting against the force dragging him down.

His lungs burnt with the absence of oxygen, and soon his body was to tired to fight back. He felt himself drifting into unconsciousness. It didn't take long before the pain ceded; it was easy to ignore it when the cold and the darkness grew further around him, further into him. Luciano felt his eyes roll into his brain as his body went limp and one last breath escaped his lips.

The sudden air bombing into his lungs and the light blinding his eyes brought back all the pain and fear. Luciano laid on the wet sand, choking desperately for some air as soft helpless sobs interrupted each one of his breaths.

It took him what it seemed like and agonizing eternity to pull himself back together enough to raise his head and look up, shaking slightly as tears run down his face. Just a couple of meters from him, a mermaid stared at him with furious piercing eyes, a wild storm of brown curls falling around her sharp face, tangling and swirling around the waves that crushed against her back.

"Let this be a lesson to you," she hissed with a thick accent, her deep voice trembling with anger.

Luciano let out a weak gasp, and looked down as more tears run down his face.

The mermaid gave him one last disgusted glance before disdainfully turning to the sea and disappeared in a wave.

Luciano sobbed quietly against the sand, waves crushing against his shaking body. He raised his head once more, and saw two silhouettes staring at him in the distance. Martín stared worriedly back at him as another mermaid pressed him close to her chest, strong arms curled around his shoulders possessively. When their eyes met, Martín opened his mouth, but before he could even say a word, the mermaid hugging him dunked in the water, dragging him away with herself.

It was then that Luciano collapsed into the sand, and started sobbing uncontrollably as his whole body shook violently.

 

* * *

 

Luciano had spent the following week moping around, gloomily absent in his thoughts, a hollow shadow of his usual cheerful self. Martín was out of his life, and there was nothing he could do about it. After years of friendship, he had been teared away from his life without even having the chance to say goodbye.

A couple of times it crossed his mind to go look for Martín. But the memory of hands pulling him to the bottom of the ocean and piercing furious eyes changed his mind. He didn't want that again, and he was sure Martín wouldn't return to the bay either. He was sure those two mermaids had dragged him away from him for good.

Luciano would barely smile, and it was obvious to the people around him something was wrong. His friends tried to cheer him up, only to get momentary laughs before Luciano went back to sulking. His parents were the one who showed most concern. His mother would kiss him and pull him to herself and whisper loving words whenever he was around, and his father would stare silently at him with worried piercing eyes.

It took a week of sulking for his parent to take action in the matter.

When his father came back from a hard day on the seas, he announced he would take Luciano fishing.

"There's nothing better than the sea and the sun to cheer and tough a man up," he had said.

Luciano's mother prepared them lunch had waved them goodbye with a smile and the promise to prepare Luciano's favourite dish when they came back.

As his father rowed them away from land and into the sea, Luciano sighed and stared blankly at the small waves caressing their boat.

"A little someone's being stealing your sleep, uh?"

Luciano let out another sad absent sigh, and jumped in his seat when his father let a loud raspy laugh out and slapped his own thigh.

"I knew it! It's a lass what's got you so gloomy these days, eh?" he said, and chuckled again. "I told your mother, but she said you were too young, that poor innocent woman. But you're just in that age boys start running after skirts..."

Luciano could feel his cheeks heat up.

"It's not that..." he said quietly, and looked away.

"Ah, but I can see it in your face, son," his father said, seriously now. He started rowing back. "Your heart is troubled, aching for someone."

Luciano looked down, and his father gave him a knowing sympathetic smile, pushing and pulling at the oars.

"It'll be ok, son," he said. "There's tons of fish in the water."

Luciano let a deeper, sadder sigh at the irony of his father's words.

They kept quiet for the rest of the trip. His father was not much of a talkative man, and Luciano didn't feel like talking himself. Once his father found what he seemed to think was a good fishing spot, he dropped the oars in the boat at took out two fishing rods.

Luciano knew how to fish for a long time already; maybe he didn't work with his dad yet, but his father had taught him a lot of things and had took him fishing in his spare time many other times. Luciano let his father explain him things he already knew, and some other he didn't and was to upset to actually listen. When he was done, he gave his son a smile, and patted his back a little awkwardly before taking a seat in the other side of the boat and throwing his bait.

Luciano threw his bait to the water, and sighed. He rested his chin on his fist and looked down at the wooden floor of the boat.

" _Luciano!_ " a small voice called.

Luciano's head shot right up.

Martín peaked back at him from the edge of the boat, hands firmly gripped to the gunwale.

"Martín!" Luciano gasped horrified.

He covered his mouth as soon as he let out the cry, and looked over his father hoping he hadn't brought his attention. His father raised his head from his rod and turned to him, raising two thick eyebrows in a silent question.

Luciano hurried to shake his head no, laughing nervously as his eyes darted to the empty edge Martín had been peaking from a second ago. He waited his father to go back to his business, and as casually as he could manage, Luciano peeped out of the boat.

Martín glared back at him, pouting barely above the water level.

"What are you doing here?!" Luciano whispered nervously.

Martín sulked harder.

"That's it? Aren't you glad to see me?"

"Of cour-I mean, no!" Luciano said and looked over his shoulder to his father to make sure he wasn't looking over them. "You shouldn't be here!"

Martín frowned displeased. He swam towards the boat, and curled his finger around its edge again, raising himself from the water enough to rest his chin in the old wood. He didn't seem to mind the danger he was exposing himself to.

"You never came back to the bay," he said, green eyes sparkling accusingly. "I waited for you, and you never came."

That took Luciano completely by surprise.

"I-I thought you wouldn't return," Luciano stuttered, astonished. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... the mermaid that dragged me..."

"My mother," Martín whispered guiltily as he made a grimace.

"... she told me to stay away."

"I'm sorry about that..." Martín whispered. "My mom wouldn't had hurt you, but she can be scary sometimes..."

Luciano decided not bring up that she had almost drowned him to prove a point.

"She's worried," Martín continued in a small sad voice. "She doesn't want us to meet again."

Luciano knew; Martín's mother maybe hadn't exactly said so, but she had got her point across.

"She says bad things happen to mermaids who get too close to humans," Martín whispered.

He chewed on his lips and looked down. Luciano knew then something was wrong; Martín was not one to look down and whisper.

"Martín? There's... something you're not telling me, isn't it?" he asked.

Martín remained quiet for a couple of seconds.

"We're leaving," he said.

"Who's leaving?" Luciano blinked confused.

Martín shot him a glance, green eyes sparking angrily.

"My family and me, you idiot," he spat.

Luciano stared numbly as he felt the blood leave his face. Martín stared back at him with a frown and pursed lips. He sighed, and looked back down, suddenly looking very tired and hopeless.

"We're traveling north and I don't know when we're coming back," he said. "I don't know if we're ever coming back..."

Luciano couldn't find his voice.

"I... I came to say goodbye..." Martín said.

"L-Leaving?" Luciano repeated as he tried to make his brain work again. "But why?! When?! That's not fair!"

Martín raised his face and open his lips to answer. Only a yelp came out of his mouth.

"What are you lad doing over there?" Luciano's father's strong voiced called.

"Nothing!" Luciano squeaked as he tensed up and turned to him.

Luciano's father frowned, and looked straight into his son's eyes. Luciano felt the back of his neck prickling and his face heating up as those old dark eyes pierced right through him. He watched as his father's tanned face darkened.

"What are you talking to?" he demanded angrily. "Luciano, get away from the water now!"

He rushed to his son's side, making the boat sway unsteadily under the changing weight, and took his old rusty harpoon from the boat's floor. He grabbed Luciano by the neck of his shirt and violently pulled him away from the edge of the boat.

"No, dad! Wait! P-Please don't!" Luciano called as he grasped his father's wrist with both his hands, trying to pull away from his grip and stretching his neck to get a peak of the water.

His father ignored him. He searched the water around them, staring at the waves with dangerous eyes, tense muscles ready to throw his weapon at the slightest move.  
"I-I was just singing to myself!" Luciano tried to excuse himself a little desperately.

His father ignored him, his eyes still looking at the sea. Luciano held his breath, his eyes darting from his father to the calm waters.

"I think it's enough for the day," his father muttered sternly.

He let go of Luciano, and packed back. Luciano let out a discrete sigh, and scanned the waters around them. Martín was nowhere to be found.

Instead, neatly placed on the boat's gunwale, his carved shell necklace laid innocently. Luciano was careful enough to wait until his father's eyes weren't on him to quickly reach out for it

The way back home was silent and tense. Luciano sat on his place trying to occupy as little space as possible, almost as if hoping that would turn him invisible. His father rowed silently and didn't even look at him.

"Sailors should know not to let the waters fool them, Luciano," he said gloomily. "Straight off to bed with you. No dinner, nor buts."

Luciano didn't reply nor complain. He had no strength to do so. He remained silent as his father took them back to shore, feeling hopeless and powerless as ever. He looked down at the seashell in his hand and gently passed his finger over the craved surface. He let out a sad sigh and carefully put the necklace on around his neck, pressed close to his sinking heart.

 

* * *

 

Years had passed after the last time Luciano ever knew of Martín.

Time had been kind to Luciano. Not only had it healed his broken heart, but had made a strong young boy out of a kid. Now that Luciano was old and strong enough for heavy work, his father decided he would start working with him. He would go fishing with his father and other fishermen to help bring money and food to their home. Luciano had little free time, but so did most of the boys his age.

Work was hard, but Luciano's life was easy. Besides fishing, there was nothing worrying him. He had a family that loved him, a roof to live under, food in his plate, friends to laugh with, and plenty of girls to flirt around.

Work was hard, but life was simple.

Or so it was, until one evening, as Luciano made his way home after a long day in the sea, one of the tailor's daughters asked him out.

"I want to gather some seashells down the beach," she had explained shyly. "I want to make a necklace for my little sister."

Luciano had known the tailor's daughter since both were little children. Her name was Iara. She had wild curly hair, smooth dark skin, and calm brown eyes. She was a little shy, but she was also one of the sweetest girls Luciano knew.

Luciano had given her a warm smile as a pleasant blush heated his face.

"Sure," he had agreed.

He spent the rest of the afternoon walking on the beach with Iara, talking and laughing and watching her gather seashells from the sand. They walked together until Iara claimed she felt a little tired and asked for a little rest. They sat together in the sand side by side, and Iara rested her head on his shoulder with a content sigh.

"Thanks for coming with me," she said. She raised her face and met his eyes, and smiled. "Would you like to take a swim?"

Luciano smiled back at her.

"I'd love to," he answered.

He stood up, and reached a hand out to Iara. She giggled and gave him a playful glance before taking his hand - a gentle shy touch - and stood up as well. Luciano took his shirt off, and ran to the water. The waves brushed his feet, and he smiled at the feeling and the sand being dragged to the ocean. He turned around just to see Iara strip to her swimsuit. When she raised her head and met his eyes, she smiled and looked away shyly.

Iara joined him and took his hand in his, and made him follow her into the sea, until each wave gently crushed against their chests. Luciano brought a wet hand to the back of his neck and rubbed his nape as he watched from the corner of his eye as Iara enjoyed the water by his side. She sighed, and closed her eyes as she raised her head to the sun. She sunk in the waves and got out of the water, a nest of black wet curls coming down her back and dark skin glistering with the sea. She turned and smiled playfully at him, and Luciano smiled back at her.

Iara took a step closer to him, and brought a hand to his chest. Her fingers caressed gently the small seashell hanging from Luciano's neck.

"It's really pretty," she whispered, and gave him a careful serious glance. A question.

Luciano gave her a smile as a twinge of pain shot across his heart.

"It's a gift," he explained, and gently took Iara's hand away as she huffed, clearly not completely convinced. "From a friend who is far away."

Iara gave him a sidelong glance, as if deciding whether to believe his words. She must had decided to trust him, because she smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned forward. Luciano gave her a wide grin, and leaned forward as well, eyes locked on Iara's full lips.

He froze right on his place, barely a breath away from Iara, as a strong pull on his breeches ripped them cleanly off him.

"Aa- _ah_.." he breathed out numbly as he stood completely naked in the water with Iara waiting for a kiss.

A kiss that didn't come. Iara opened her eyes with a frown, displeased.

"Luciano, what-oh," she blinked surprised. She rested a tender hand on his cheeks, oblivious to his embarrassing little situation. Luciano couldn't help to tense awkwardly under her touch. "Are you ok? You look like you've seen a-oh!"

She squirmed, like someone had just poked her back. She frowned, and pursed her full lips, and then her eyes grew hide with horror. She started whimpering and squirming. Luciano blinked at her.

"W-What's wrong?" he asked.

Iara started jumping in place and letting high pitched sounds. She started stretching, trying to reach her back with her hands and she turned around like a dog chasing it's tail. Luciano could only stare and yelp when she let out a loud scream.

Luciano blinked as Iara rushed out of the water screaming and crying.

"I-Iara!" he called.

He watched, helpless and horrified, as she made run down the beach back to town.

"God, I thought she was never going to leave," a voice sighed dramatically at his side.

Luciano let out a cry and backed away as he turned to his left. His glance got caught by a couple of sparkling green eyes barely over the water level.

"Martín?!"

Martín gave him a shameless wide smile as his tail splashed playfully behind him.

"Nice to see you too, Luciano."

"You're back!" Luciano cried, staring at him with wide eyes. "It was _you_!"

Martín laughed, and his eyes shone maliciously. He didn't bother to deny, neither did he apologize.

Luciano couldn't help the wide smile spreading across his face.

"It was you!" he repeated, and laughed. "What on Earth did you do to Iara?!"

Martín joined his laughter, pleased.

"Oh, she's just over reacting," he rolled his eyes as he bit back a smile. "I might have put a crab in her swimsuit, that's all."

Luciano could not believe his ears, neither could he stop the snort that come out his lips.

"A... a crab?!" he tried to keep from laughing, feeling a little bad for poor dear Iara.

A wide devilish smile spread across Martín's lips.

"The biggest meanest crab I could find in such a small period of time," he whispered proudly.

"Martín!" Luciano tried to scold him as silly bubbly laughter came out his lips. "That's-that's awful! She didn't deserve it! She's very nice, you know!"

"Oh, don't give me that. She'll get over it," Martín flap his tail and swam closer to him. "Come on, Luciano, don't pretend you're not happy to see me."

Luciano smiled widely at him.

"But I am," he answered.

He was more than happy. More than excited. He was thrilled. He was too happy to even get mad for what Martín did to sweet Iara - he knew he should be really angry, and he was sure he would be when the thrill passed, but he couldn't bring himself to care right now.

He had missed Martín so much, had to grow use to his absence, had to give up to the idea of ever seeing him again. He had been so sure he had seen the last of Martín, he could barely believe he was back. Could barely believe he was there, with him, laughing and joking like he had never left.

It brought a wide stupid smile he couldn't seem to fight.

"Martín?"

Martín smiled at him, open and bright like Luciano still remembered.

"Yes?"

"Can I get my pants back now please?"

 

* * *

 

It was like time hadn't even passed... only it had, and neither Luciano nor Martín were the same silly kids from before.

Martín had grown to become a young merman. He was still a teenager, still a little lanky and clumsy, but Luciano couldn't help to notice that even then, there was something really appealing in him. In his kind. The flexible lines of his body, the way his pale skin merged with shimmering scales, the soft curve of his tail. It was very alluring all of it, somehow.

Luciano had always found in Martín quite a magical sight, even when they were children; there was something about his sparkling green eyes, golden hair, fair skin and silver scales that made it impossible to look away. It always seemed to Luciano like Martín had a light glow coming out of him, that he would disappear in thin air if Luciano even dared to blink. Like he was some kind of illusion, a dream.

Luciano found himself having a hard time looking away from Martín, from his eyes, his smile, his hands, his chest and tail and... well, the whole of him. He made a quite a handsome merman, if Luciano could say so himself - which he couldn't since he would never admit it out loud.

Martín, on the other hand, had pointed that Luciano hadn't changed at all.

"You have the same eyes, and the same smile," Martín had smiled.

Luciano had huffed and pouted back, because being told he looked like a child when he obviously wasn't one anymore was no compliment at all.

"And you still look like an overgrown sardine," he had rolled his eyes at him.

But Martín had only laughed and splashed him with his tail, a warm tender smile on his lips.

It was strange, Luciano thought, how time could change so many things. How silly little boys could turn into daring young men. How friends could grow apart and then back together. How he could look to Martín and see the same cheeky merboy he knew years ago and yet feel something else, something completely new and different he didn't quite understood himself.

 

* * *

 

Things went back to what they used it to, and their days went pretty much the same until one evening Martín announced he wanted Luciano to meet some friends of his. Luciano had tried to smile back even when he hadn't felt like it, because he didn't precisely liked the idea of being in the middle of the ocean out-numbered by mermaids. Even if he trusted Martín with his life, he wasn't sure he could say the same with whoever they would met.

But Martín promised he would like them, and had only smiled mysteriously when Luciano tried to make any questions about them.

Luciano had been a little tense over it the whole travel, and had let out a laugh as his whole body relaxed when Martín introduced him to a small group of seals lazily laying in a small group of rocks in some forgotten island in the middle of the sea.

"So this are you friends?" Luciano smirked as a group of cubs greeted them.

"Shush," Martín had ordered with a smile. "Let me introduce them to you."

He proceeded to name the seals, as the animals swam curiously around them. They already knew Martín, and cuddled against him and lick his face like lapdogs, but they did get close to Luciano to sniff him. He laughed, and barely listen to Martín's rants as he petted the seals.

"They're cute," Luciano said.

"I knew you would like them," Martín replied proudly. "I think they like you too."

Luciano laughed, and rubbed the belly of a small seal - Lita, according to Martín - that swam on its back right in front of him. He was a little taken aback when the creature sunk in the water and rushed to land.

"What did I do?" Luciano asked surprised.

Martín looked around them, green eyes scanning the water cautiously.The seals had cleared the waters, and stared at them from the rocky shore.

"This can't be good... Come on, I think it's best if..." Martín interrupted himself. His eyes went wide as he stared over Luciano's shoulder. "Shark!"

Luciano whole body tensed at that cry. He turned around to find a grey pointy fin silently sliding through the water barely a couple of meters from them. Luciano remained floating in place, wide eyes fixed on the dark shadow patiently circling them underwater.

It was strange, how calm Luciano felt. Like the creature on the prowl was not a threat at all. He guessed Martín had to do with it. All his life Luciano had heard of the fierceness of mermaids; he had heard of them sinking whole ships, had heard of them tearing sailors apart with their bare hands, he had even heard of mermaid hunting side by side with sharks. There was no more dreadful creature in the ocean, he was sure of it. How could he worry about something like a shark when he had a merman by his side?

He was a little shocked to see Martín wasn't taking the shark's presence half as calmly.

"Don't just stare at it, you idiot!" he cried. "We gotta go!"

He took Luciano's hand and dragged him away, flipping his tail furiously as they darted though the water at breakneck speed. Luciano barely had time to react.  
"Go!" Martín ordered once they reach the seal's resting spot.

Luciano climbed the slippery rocks as fast as he could. From the water, Martín pushed of him, helping him out of the sea while looking around nervously.

"Come on, out, out, out!" he urged him.

Luciano moved as fast as he could. As soon as he found himself out of the water and safe in land, he was quick to turn around and help Martín. As Martín himself climbed up the rocks - fingers grasping at the slippery edges of the rocks as arms dragged his whole body weight - Luciano pulled of him. Getting Martín out off the water took them a little more effort, but in only a couple of seconds, both of them sat safely on the rocks as they tried to catch their breath. They watched silently as the dark large shadow swam under the surface, exploring the mass of rocks as it patiently looked for a way to get to its prey.

"I thought-," Luciano breathed out. "I thought sharks didn't eat mermaids!"

Martín frowned a little confused at him.

"There sure as hell are easier preys out there, but why wouldn't they?" he replied. "They do avoid older mermaids, but to be completely honest neither of us is a challenge here, Luciano. Specially you."

Luciano shook his head, too cheated over the stories he had heard all his life to feel offended.

"I thought they were afraid of you," he said. "Or that you could talk to them, that they obeyed you, I don't know..."

"Talk to it...?" Martín stared at him with wide eyes. "Talk to a shark? Do you realise how stupid that sounds, Luciano?"

Luciano frowned and puffed his checks.

"It's not stupid," he defended himself. "It makes sense! You're half fish!"

Martín squinted at him, his tail curling and uncurling on the wet rock impatiently.

"To whom?" he spat.

"You have a _fish_ tail, Martín," Luciano pointed rolling his eyes.

"And you have monkey legs, and you don't see me pointing my finger," Martín huffed.

"They are not monkey legs," Luciano frowned.

"And my tail is not a fish tail, as you so rudely put it," Martín replied as offended. "It's my tail. And I'm half nothing."

Luciano frowned to himself, and looked back at the water. He let his eyes follow the shark's movement as it swam away. He turned to Martín when he felt him lay on the warm rocks, and saw with yawn and stretch lazily over the rocks.

He let a small smirk curve his lips.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe you're not half fish," he teased. "Maybe you're half seal."

"And maybe you're half parrot," Martín replied without even bothering to open his eyes. "Shut up and let me enjoy the sun."

Luciano laughed, but he did laid down. The rock on his back wasn't precisely comfortable, but it was warm and smooth, and that was cosy enough, and the seals laying and yawning around them were enough to make him feel drowsy. He closed his eyes, and let out a pleased sigh. He drifted into sleep almost instantly.

He woke up a couple of hours later as Martín shook him awake violently.

"Luciano! Luciano, wake up!"

Luciano opened his eyes. They happened to be alone in their little island - the seals must have left while Martín and himself were asleep. The sun was already hiding in the horizon, the sky coloured with pink and purple and blue; it was time he went back home before his parents started wondering, Luciano thought as he squinted around.

"... what? What happened?" he asked. "What do you want, Martín?"

" _Look!_ " Martín ordered as he insistently pointed at something.

Luciano blinked, and followed the direction of Martín's finger. He let out a loud gasp and sat right up.

Martín's tail was gone, and instead he had a couple of long thin legs.

"Wha-how?!" Luciano cried.

"I don't know!" Martín shrieked as shocked.

Luciano stared at Martín's lower body in utter disbelief.

Martín bent his knees just slightly, as if to test them, and reached out to gently poke at his feet. He wriggled his toes a little clumsily, and let out a laugh. He explored the rest of his legs with the expression of a curious little child as Luciano followed Martín's hands silently and gently roaming over his body, fingertips barely skimming over his feet and ankles, palms carefully feeling and sliding up his knees, fingers exploring the shapes below them almost shyly.

Luciano couldn't help to stare as a light blush heated his face and his heart hammered inside his chest, exploring Martín's body with his eyes with the same curious fascination Martín's hands did. He only realised he happened to be staring at his friend's naked body when Martín's hands cupped his own thighs, fingers gently sliding up to his...

He blinked to himself, almost as if snapping out of a dream, and hurried to look away as he felt his face firing up.

"Cut it out, you creep," he ordered.

Martín let out a fresh laugh.

"I'm sorry," he said with an amused note in his voice. "It's just that it's so _weird_!"

Luciano turned to Martín, who had stopped groping himself, but still smiled at his legs like a madman.

"Monkey legs," he snorted.

Luciano had to roll his eyes at him. He was doing it on purpose, he was sure of it.

"Oh, for the love of... I said cut it out!" Luciano elbowed him.

Martín laughed and dropped himself on the rocks. He laughed some more, laying on his back, and then stretched, trying out new found muscles while letting out a pleased grunt. Luciano looked away and hugged his knees to his chest, blushing furiously as he felt a light pleasant tug in his lower belly.

"We have some stories about mermaids that get feet when out of the water," Martín said thoughtfully. He let out a light laugh. "I've always thought those were silly bedtime stories for babies!"

Luciano hummed absently.

"... do you think it'll be permanent?" he asked cautiously.

"I don't know..." Martín admitted and shifted at his side. "The mermaid from the stories were supposed to change back when they got back to sea, but they die one way or another before they can reach the water..."

"They die?!" Luciano asked horrified as he turned to him with wide eyes.

Martín blinked at him and raised his upper body, resting his weight on his forearms.

"Oh, no! No, I don't mean it that way!" he hurried to say. "I mean, they usually get kill..." Martín bit his lower lip and looked away guiltily. "You _know_..."

Luciano didn't need Martín to get into further details to understand.

Bad things happen to mermaids who get too close to humans.

"I see..." Luciano whispered as he looked down.

Martín sat back up, and gently place his hand on Luciano's shoulder.

"There's nothing to worry about, Luciano" he promised him with a cocky smirk. "Even as a kid I've always thought the mermaids from the stories were really dumb, so their endings are really no big surprise. But we're not dumb, so we'll be fine."

"Yeah..." Luciano gave a little uncertain nod.

They remained silent for a couple of seconds, listening the sea crush against the sand.  
"Luciano?" Martín called.

"Mmh?" Luciano raised his eyes to his.

Martín grinned wider at him as his eyes sparkled maliciously.

"Next time you come to me, bring some extra breeches and shirt," he whispered with complicity. "We're going to town."

 

* * *

 

Luciano did as promised.

The following morning, he brought with himself some clothes for Martín.

Martín was already waiting for him, and had been for some time already it seemed for the pair of legs he hugged protectively against his chest as he stared into the sea deep in thoughts.

Luciano hurried to his side, and dropped the clothes to his feet. Martín glared curiously at them.

"Are you going to be ok?" Luciano asked standing awkwardly. "Or do you think you'll need help dressing up...?"

Martín raised his eyes from the clothes and gave him a frown and pursed lips. Luciano turned around to give him some privacy without another word.

"It's weird enough you'll have to teach me to walk," he heard Martín mumble to himself as he dressed.

It was weird indeed.

It was odd, having to help him to stand up. Having to explain how to do it, and how to keep his balance, and how to take a step, and how to do many other things that came naturally to Luciano and he wasn't quite certain how to illustrate.

It was strange, seeing Martín standing on his own two feet, looking like a normal teenage boy, dressed in Luciano's worn-out shirt and breeches. He was slim and tall, a couple of inches taller than Luciano much to his dismay - Luciano was so used to be the one looking down at Martín, that this turn had upset him. Martín, on the other, was delighted with his new found appearance, checking himself out and around as he stood unsteadily with a pleased smug smile on his face.  
"Not bad for a 'fish', uh?" he had laughed.

He had all the right into taking pride of his looks; he looked rather handsome, Luciano couldn't help to think as a light blush heated his face.

At least he did when he was not falling on his butt like a drunk man.

"Dammit!"

Luciano bit his lips to keep his smile from spreading further across his face, and crouched at Martín's side. He had lost count how many times Martín had fallen in his butt in the day.

"How the hell do you manage to do it?" Martín mumbled frustrated as he looked down at his feet.

Luciano bit the inside of his cheeks from keep from laughing.

"You're rushing," he pointed as kindly as he could manage.

"I'm not," Martín frowned up at him.

"You are," Luciano said patiently.

Martín pouted. Luciano tried to give him his most encouraging smile, and reached a hand out. Martín rolled his eyes, and took it as Luciano helped him stand up. Luciano gently placed a hand on his lower back, helping him steady over his feet as Martín's body swayed slightly. Martín didn't let go of Luciano until he felt stable enough on his feet.

"Let's try something different then," Luciano said, and placed himself right in front of Martín.

He raised his hands up to the level of their chests, open palms facing towards Martín. Martín looked curiously at them, then at Luciano, then back at them. He raised his own hands, and shyly placed them against Luciano's, fingers curling around Luciano's. He looked up at Luciano, and gave him a curious hesitant look.

"Now, keep your eyes on me," Luciano said. "And let your body do what it feels right."

Martín closed his eyes with a sigh, and gave a little nod. Luciano smiled, took a little step back, and gently pulled Martín's hand with him. Martín followed after him, taking over-careful slow steps.

"Your eyes on mine," Luciano reminded kindly when Martín looked down at his feet.

Martín quickly raised his chin a little higher than normal, giving a little nod as he looked up at the sky, eyes farthest away from his feet as possible.

"Yes, I know," he said, frowning a little to himself.

Luciano let out a chuckle, and smiled tenderly.

"Then look at me, Martín," he called sweetly.

Martín's eyelashes flickered, and his eyes met Luciano's.

As Luciano held Martín's hands and gently pulled of him, he could feel a warm fuzziness settling in his belly, climbing up his chest and warming up his face with a silly smile. It was almost like dancing, he couldn't help to think. Luciano leading the way and Martín following his footsteps. Hands entwined, light blushes on their faces, eyes locked together, bodies barely away.

They were so close that it would have only taken Luciano to just lean slightly forward and kiss Martín.

Luciano stumbled over his own feet at the thought, and almost feel on his back. Martín let out a gasp as he lost balance. Luciano was fast enough to help him, even though he had to admit Martín had handled that little surprise pretty well; he might had loosen his feet, but he had been strong enough to keep himself on his feet.

"I'm sorry!" Luciano apologized as he felt his face heating up. "I-I couldn't see where I was going and..."

"It's ok," Martín interrupted him. He looked down at his feet, almost as if to make sure he was still standing on them, and then raised his eyes to Luciano. "… Can we keep going? Please? I think it's working."

Luciano let out a nervous silly laugh, and nodded. Martín smiled back, as a light shade of pink colouring his cheeks, and gave their hands a little squeeze.  
Luciano pulled him to himself, and started walking backwards again as Martín followed.

This time, Luciano kept his eyes down, locked on their feet.

He didn't dare to look Martín straight into the eyes again for the rest of the day.

 

* * *

 

When Martín could walk like a normal person and not a clumsy toddler - Martín had been deeply offended when Luciano had implied that, but it was the truth - they made their first visit to town.

Luciano had expected Martín to be excited about it, but he didn't exactly seem to be overly curious. Martín had showed to be mildly curious about human's lifestyle, and specially cautious over human behaviour. He would pace around people carefully, looking around with wary eyes. It made Luciano smile amused how serious and self-aware Martín looked.

"Relax," he would tell him. "It's ok, you're one of us until we get you back to the sea. Now lets have some fun!"

Martín hadn't showed a special interest in human's traditions. He would involuntary raise an eyebrow, quietly ask Luciano for an explanation, and listen pursing his lips thoughtfully. It was almost disappointing, if it wasn't because he had showed to like small certain things.  
He had struggled to grasp the purpose of clothing, but had grown fonder and fonder as he watched the variety of shapes and colours, to the point where he shyly asked Luciano if it was possible they could get him a prettier looking attire.

He had also let out a high pitched squeak the first time a dog run by him, and followed it with big shinny eyes as it run down the street. He had spent the rest of the day asking Luciano about dogs, and had held his breath euphoric as he petted the old dog from the bakery.

"And you keep them with you?" he asked, trying to assimilate the concept. "They _stay_ by your side?"

"Yes, that's what pets are for," Luciano had answered with a laugh. "Don't you have pets undersea?"

Martín shook his head slightly, to busy marvelling over the old mangy dog.

"It's beautiful," he whispered.

Luciano laughed loud and long enough to make the people around turn to them with curious eyes and confused smiles.

Martín had also grasped Luciano's arm and shook him slightly as he looked at a group of boys kicking a ball around.

"I've liked that from the moment I first saw you and your ball," he had said.

Luciano had beamed and had promised he would teach Martín so they could play together, now that he actually had legs. Martín had beamed at him.

Martín had also seemed to particularly enjoy music, and would look at the people dancing to it with the most intense expression Luciano had ever seen on him. He didn't know what went through Martín's mind as he watched couples laugh and entwine, and didn't find the courage to interrupt his reverie to ask. So normally he would just wait until Martín snapped out of it and told him to leave somewhere else.

It didn't took long before Martín became known by some people. The town was small, and everybody knew each other, so a new face was always easy to spot. Besides, Martín had something, even standing on two legs, that made it impossible not to look at him - or at least that's what Luciano thought - so of course people would recognise him.

The problem laid that people soon started asking questions.

"His name is Martín," Luciano would answer. "He's from the city, he came to visit town with his father. I'm showing him around while his dad is in the docks."

It was a good lie. Lots of merchants would come from the city or inland towns to buy fish to resell, so Martín could go by as the son of one of them. But people would usually ask more question - "I've never been to the city, how is it?", "What's you father's name? Maybe my husband knows him!". Then it was Martín's turn to speak and lead the conversation to other places in a very discreet elegant way that made Luciano raise his eyebrows marvelled.

It was a dangerous game, the one they were playing.

"We'll have to stop coming to town so often," Luciano said one morning as the walked side by side through the town's small plaza.

"Why?" Martín asked.

"People are starting to ask question," Luciano said.

"So?" Martín didn't seem to see the problem. "We can lie, like we've been doing so far."

"We barely lied, and I don't want to do it anymore," Luciano snapped.

There was so much they could lie. People would start to wonder about Martín unexciting father, and then what? Besides, Luciano knew this people since he was a child, and it felt wrong to lie to them. But he couldn't say the truth, not when it meant getting Martín in trouble.

"It's starting to be suspicious to have you around," Luciano explained a little more patiently as Martín squinted at him. "People will start wondering, and then suspecting."

"Ok, fine," Martín shrugged it off. "If you think it's best."

"We can go elsewhere," Luciano promised. "There were many other beautiful places we can go where no one would bother us."

Martín gave him a sidelong curious glance. Luciano tried to give him his best smile, and yelped when something hit his head, a small wet shot on his crown. He raised his face to the sky, and frowned at the dark clouds suddenly gathering over their heads. A heavy raindrop hit him in the forehead, and after that, without further warning, rain started pouring from the sky.

Luciano blinked to the sky, and then looked down at himself as the rain drenched and clung his clothes to his body.

"A downpour," he wrinkled his nose to himself. "Come on, let's-"

"Luciano!" Martín called with a urgent note on his voice.

Luciano turned to him.

"What-"

"The rain!" Martín shriek as he gripped Luciano's arms, nails sinking in his skin. "My legs!"

Luciano opened his mouth confused, and let out a sudden gasp of realisation. As the rain poured heavily from the sky, and the people around them let out surprised cries and ran for shelter, Luciano caught Martín's hand in his and pulled of him, running away from the crowd as fast as he could.

Luciano desperately looked for a roof to hide under, dragging Martín after him as he struggled to follow, his feet stumbling clumsily over each other until his legs gave in. Before Luciano could catch him, Martín fell to the ground. He tried to stand again but he collapsed again, his legs unwilling to work.

"I-I can't-" he whispered looking with frightened huge eyes at the people fluttering around them. "T-They won't-they're changing!"

Luciano didn't need to hear anything else. He dropped at Martín's side without a word - raised his eyes just once to make sure no one was looking at them - and pulled the breeches off him. He let his eyes roam over the length of his bare legs for less than a second, enough time to see faint silver scales already shimmering under the fair skin of Martín's thighs. Luciano didn't waste anymore time; he curled his arms around Martín's back and under his knees, and lifted him from the ground with a grunt.

"Hang tight to me!" he ordered.

Martín clung to him tightly, arms firmly fixed around Luciano's necks and fingers grasping to his shirt. Luciano rushed down the street, running as fast as his legs could carry him as he pressed Martín close to his chest.

As Luciano made his way into a little alley, he hoped and prayed the people around them hadn't noticed Martín's shimmering silver tail.

He ran further into the alley and away from the main street, until he could find a small roof to cover themselves from the pouring rain.

Once sheltered from the storm, Luciano rested both their body weights against a wall as he tried to catch his breath. Martín clung to his shirt just as breathlessly, looking around for any possible pursuers as his body shook just slightly against Luciano's.

Luciano gave a deep sigh, and slid to the ground as gently as his weak legs and numb arms allowed him, being careful enough not to drop Martín on his lap too roughly. He rested his head against the cool rock on his back, and closed his eyes.

"What now?" Martín asked weakly, looking nervously around.

It took Luciano a couple of seconds to find his voice.

"Now, we wait until the storm passes and you get your legs back," he managed to answer.

Martín pressed his lips together, and gave a tense little nod.

"Yes, right..." he agreed. He hesitated, and then cautiously asked; "Do you think anyone... saw?"

They both remained silent, and looked at both sides of the alley.

"No, we're good," Luciano said.

Luciano could feel Martín's tense muscles finally relax. He heard him let out a low relieved sigh, his fingers going limp on Luciano's shoulders. He didn't pulled away, neither did he let go of him, his arms still hugging Luciano's shoulders. He seemed curiously content with the closeness, enough to rest his head on the curve of Luciano's neck.  
Luciano could feel himself blush.

"What do you think would have happened if anyone saw me?" Martín asked, a little morbid smile dancing on his voice.

Nothing good, for sure.

"They might have pulled out their forks hungry for some _moqueca_ ," Luciano said quietly, trying to sound playful despite not finding his own joke funny.

Martín laughed, and raised his head to give him a smug look.

"You wouldn't have let them hurt me," he bragged full of himself.

Luciano felt himself blush slightly, and looked away, avoiding Martín's eyes. They kept quiet, listening to the rain, watching the water splash and spatter on the ground.

Luciano?" Martín called softly.

"Mmmh?" Luciano raised his head to him.

The kiss Martín gave him took him completely by surprise. He stood completely still, frozen in place, as Martín gently pressed their lips together.

When he pulled away, Luciano couldn't help but to stare back at him.

"Thank you," Martín said, humbly, and looked down. "Thanks for helping me out there."

Luciano felt his face fire up like never before. Martín gave him a shy smile and rested his head on Luciano's shoulder as he cuddled a little closer, curling his tail around Luciano with a satisfied sigh.

Luciano blinked to himself as his brain tried to process what had just happened.

 

* * *

 

That innocent little kiss had turned Luciano's world upside down.

If Luciano had ever doubted his - growing - feelings towards Martín, he could not ignore them any longer. Not when he couldn't get the feeling of Martín's soft lips tenderly pressing against his, when he couldn't help to stare at his mouth, couldn't help to yearn for Martín's touch and smile and laugh and everything. Luciano's heart hammered against his chest and a warm pleasant blush rose to his face every time Martín looked at him, and there was nothing he could do to deny nor stop it.

Martín acted normal, like the kiss he had given Luciano was a gesture of gratitude as normal as a shake of hands or a pat on the back. He seemed completely oblivious to the wreck the memory of the feeling of his lips made in Luciano's brain. Luciano had meant to ask him about it, but he would always back down with a deep blush before he could ask the question. It seemed like a bold thing to bring up. Maybe it was cultural for Martín. Maybe mermaids kissed in the lips among friends. Maybe it meant nothing.  
Maybe Martín felt something back for him.

The idea brought some peace to Luciano's mind. Maybe Martín hadn't precisely confessed him his undying love, but he had found him attractive enough to kiss him - and rest his head on his shoulder and hug him and cuddle against him -, and Luciano liked to believe that was a start.

So after days of gathering courage, the perfect opportunity presented, and Luciano did what he thought was the logical next step;

"We're going out tonight."

He dropped the bomb as smoothly as he could manage.

Martín and him were sitting under a tree, sharing some fruit - now that they didn't visit town anymore, exploring the nature was what they did mostly, exploring lands Martín hadn't even dreamt to see. Luciano gave Martín a sidelong glance, and watched from the corner of his eye as a quick spark dashed through Martín's eyes and a devilish smile curled his lips.

"Are we?" he asked with a little amused intrigued note in his voice. "Where?"

"It's a surprise," Luciano answered cautiously.

He had been thinking about how to ask him out for days, racking his brain trying to find a way to make his intentions clear with enough leash to back down in case Martín didn't return his feelings. He had decided vagueness was his best bet. An invitation free for Martín to interpret however he wanted. Maybe Luciano meant a date, maybe he meant a friendly hangout...

"A surprise?" Martín sounded curious. "Do I get any hints?"

Luciano shook his head silently, and Martín let out a thoughtful sigh. His smile grew wider across his face, and a light pleased flush coloured his cheeks.

"Fine, I'll go out with you," he decided with a playful smirk, and Luciano felt his own face heating up just slightly. "Let's see what you've got for me."

"You'll like it," Luciano promised with a small coy smile. "Prepare yourself to be amazed."

Martín laughed, and Luciano beamed back at him.

His mission had been a huge success. Martín had agreed to his date and hadn't gave him a weird look nor had he laughed at him. He had smiled and nodded, and Luciano couldn't have hoped for a better result.

Luciano spent the rest of the day barely keeping his wide bright smile from curling his lips.

He returned to their bay later that night, carrying a bundle of cloth with himself. Martín was already waiting for him sitting in the sand, wearing the set of clothes they had left hidden between some rocks for him.

"I got something for you," Luciano informed as he extended the bundle to Martín.

Martín gave him a curious smile, and took the cloths between his hands.

"They used to belong to a friend of mine," Luciano explained. "He out grew them, hopefully they'll fit you."

"So, will you tell me now what's the occasion?" Martín asked as he curiously examined the perfectly white set of clothes Luciano had brought to him.

Luciano cleared his throat a little awkwardly.

"It's New Year's Eve," he explained. "And I'm taking you to the party the town is throwing tonight."

"I thought you didn't want me to go back to town," Martín said quietly.

"I know, but this is different," Luciano replied. "You can't miss the party, specially if you've never been to one."

Martín gave him a sidelong glance and a little smirk.

"If you say so," he said.

The shirt suited Martín nicely, squaring his shoulders and falling loosely around his waist. The pants, on the other hand, hanged a little too short over his ankles and fitted a little too loose around his hips - nothing a string wouldn't fix.

All in all, Martín looked really handsome in his new clothes.

"You look nice in white," Luciano pointed.

He regret his words as soon as they left his mouth, and he flushed when Martín beamed at him.

"Thanks," he said with a wide please smile and a light blush. "You look really good too."

Luciano let out a laugh as his heart flickered warmly in his chest and butterflies fluttered in his belly.

"Thanks, I guess," he said. "Come on, let's get going."

They headed to town together, and when they finally reached it, Martín seemed a little confused.

"I thought you said there was a party?" he asked cautiously as he looked around the empty streets.

Luciano smiled gently at him.

"It's in the beach," he explained. "Come on, let's go."

They made their way down the beach, where almost the whole town had gathered in a party. The women wore white dresses, and the man white shirts and pants. There was a big fire in the sand, surrounded by dancing and singing people and bouquets of flowers. Luciano smiled as Martín looked around with wide surprised eyes.  
"It's beautiful," he whispered.

Luciano laughed and gave him a cocky smile.

"You should wait for Mr. Yao's fireworks," he said proudly.

They walked side by side through the crowd as Martín looked around them with big curious eyes and an amused smile on his lips. When they got to the sea, Martín let out a gasp.

"I know this!" he cried.

A wide bright smile spread across his face as he looked at the people walking into the ocean, throwing flowers into the sea, gently placing candles and little decorated boats in the waves to let them slowly drift away with the tide, making their way through the waves to pray in the waters.

"You do?" Luciano turned to him surprised.

"Yes!" Martín answered. "We always watch you from the water!"

Luciano blinked surprised. It had never crossed his mind that the sea people would be lured by their party.

"We don't know what you're celebrating through," Martín added thoughtfully. "What are you doing exactly?"

Luciano gave him a bright smile.

"You'll see," he said. "Come with me."

He grabbed Martín's wrist and pulled of him. As they marched together, Martín gently slipped his wrist from Luciano's grasp and curled his fingers around his. Luciano felt his heart skip a beat, and blushed just slightly when he met Martín's warm smile. Hand in hand, they walked together towards the sea. As they made their way, Luciano stole two white flowers from a huge bouquet.

"Ummh, Luciano?" Martín called a little worriedly as they got closer and closer to the ocean. "I can't touch the water, remember?"

"You won't," Luciano promised.

Luciano stopped their march a couple of steps from the crushing waves, sea foam dangerously stretching in the sand only centimetres away from Martín's toes. He couldn't help to curl them in and give a little step back.

"Here," Luciano handed Martín one of his flowers.

Martín looked down and blinked at it. He reached out a shy hand and took the flower between his fingers, examining it with curiosity.

"It's for Iemanjá," Luciano explained. "We throw flowers and gifts to the sea and ask for her blessing."

Martín's head shot right up and his eyes sparkled with realisation.

"You're worshiping the sea," he whispered.

A bright smile spread across Martín's face as he beamed, and Luciano laughed.

"When the next wave comes, we throw our flowers as far as possible and we let the tide take it away," Luciano said, and took Martín's hand in his.

Martín nodded excited. They waited, and when the next wave crushed against the shore, they threw their flowers. Luciano had miscalculated the force of the sea, and the wave stretched further into the sand than the previous one. They both let out a cry, and run away from the water between laughs and curses.

They stood side by side, and watched the flowers drift away, fingers still warmly entwined.

"You know," Martín whispered as he tilted his head to Luciano. "This looks beautiful from the ocean."

Luciano turned to him with a sly smile, silently accepting the implied invitation. Martín smirked back, and grabbing Luciano by the wrist, he ran and pulled him away from the crowd. Luciano let out a laugh, blushing at Martín's touch, and followed after him feeling young and alive and in love.

They sneaked out of the party, giggling to themselves through dark night. Once they reached a spot far enough, Martín stopped their race and let go of Luciano.  
Then, he started to strip from his clothes.

Luciano held his breath, heart hammering against his chest as clothes fell to the sand and pale bare skin glistered under the moonlight. Martín stood tall and proud and completely naked in front of his eyes, the long slim lines and shapes of his body outlined in white smooth light. Martín gave him a coy playful smile that made something flicker in Luciano's belly, and silently reached a hand out towards him.

Luciano walked to his side and took his hand without a word. Martín's smile grew wider as his fingers curled around Luciano's, and turned and guided him to the water.  
They marched together into the ocean, hand in hand.

Luciano followed after him, struggling against the tide, his eyes glued to Martín's nape ahead of him. A wave swallowed Martín whole, and he disappeared under a cloak of foam. He remerged with a big smile and a silver tail splashing behind him, and took both Luciano's hands in his. Martín pulled of him insistently, shooting him devilish little smirks from his shoulder every now and then as they ventured deeper into the sea.

Soon, Luciano's feet couldn't find any ground under their soles. He raised his chin to keep the salty water from his mouth, and braced and kicked to keep himself afloat as he tried to keep going forward. Martín let out a gentle laugh and effortlessly swam to him. He placed his hands on Luciano's waist and pulled him closer to himself, chests almost touching. Luciano coyly placed his hands on Martín shoulders, and felt his face firing up again at their closeness.

Martín swam further into the ocean, smiling exhilarated and flipping his tail harder and harder, pushing their bodies faster, as they made their way into the open sea.

"There," Martín whispered with an amused smirk. "Look."

Luciano blinked and looked at Martín's eyes as if he had just snapped out of a dream. His eyes roamed around them, over the calm dark water.

"What?" he asked as his mind drifted out of the numbness it had been asleep in.

Martín laughed and gestured with his head to his left.

"Over there," he repeated.

Luciano turned his head, and let out a surprised gasp when he realised how far from the coast they had receded. An oasis of light and life in the middle of the dark. The party was a spot slightly bigger than his thumb, miles away.

Luciano instinctively clung tightly to Martín, who received the gesture with a fresh laugh.

"I don't think I like this," Luciano blurted out as his eyes darted from the endless darkness of the calm ocean to the distant warmth and life from the town.

"What are you saying? It's beautiful out here!" Martín laughed in disbelief. "Come on, take a look around."

Luciano turned to him, ready to complain and number all of the reasons why this was utterly terrifying. But as soon as he met Martín's clear shinny eyes, the words dissolved in his tongue.

Luciano could feel himself calm under Martín's glance, his body slowly relaxing against him. Martín gave him a warm smile, which slowly faltered until the corner of his lips barely curled upside. Luciano let out a shaky sigh. His eyes flickered to Martín's mouth before he hesitantly raised them to meet Martín's glance, asking the question. Green eyes stared back at him intensively, eager and yearning. Luciano looked back down at his parted inviting lips. He gulped and leaned in as Martín's eyelids flickered closed.

Their lips were barely a breath away when a explosion blasted over their heads and made them both gasp and pull apart.

They looked up the dark sky with wide surprised eyes. After a couple of seconds, the dark sky illuminated as fireworks ran across the dark night sky.

Luciano looked down and let out a small gasp. Iemanjá's flower drifted through the waves, delicately floating around them. Martín smiled warmly at the sky with big sparkling eyes, surrounded by flowers and waves that sparkled reflecting the red, green, and yellow of the fireworks that exploded over their heads.

Luciano could barely catch his breath. The sight was dreamlike.

He could have stared forever, if it wasn't for a movement in the corner of his eyes and a splashing sound that caught his attention. Luciano turned to his left, and gasped as he saw a head pop out of the water some meters away from them. He stared horrified as other heads emerged from the waves and stared at the sky. Soon, they were surrounded by at least a dozen mermaids.

Luciano clung to Martín, fingers sinking tightly on his shoulders.

"We're not alone," he whispered tensely.

Martín lower his head, and looked around them.

"Oh," he said, a little to calm to Luciano's liking. "Yes, I told. We know. We like to come and watch your little display."

"That's not what I meant," Luciano replied with a frown. "What if they see us? What if they see _me_?"

Martín had the nerve to give a little chuckle, keeping it low not to drain any undesired attention over themselves.

"It's ok," he promised with a smirk. "It's dark, and nobody is looking at us."

Luciano pursed his lips, discomforted with the answer.

Martín smiled at him, and curled his arms around Luciano's shoulders, bringing him closer to himself. He flipped his tail and took them away. Luciano let himself by dragged, water gently brushing their bodies.

After a couple of minutes, Martín stopped swimming and let the impulse of his last flap drift them across the waves. He smirked lazily, and Luciano rolled his eyes failing to hold a smile back.

"Better?" Martín asked as they floated in the dark waters.

Luciano looked around them. It was almost like they were alone in the world, drifting in dark quiet water as far as the eye could see. The only sign of life was the town's beach, a warm spot of light and colour miles away, music and voices a distant hum below the waves murmur.

"Yes, thanks," Luciano said as they floated in the silent sea. "But we really should be heading back. We're missing the party."

"I've got everything I want right here," Martín breathed out softly.

Luciano could feel his smile drop. He turned to Martín, and looked at him. Martín stared back silently, calm clear eyes clouded with longing and one silent petition.  
Luciano let go of one of Martín's shoulders, and shyly brought his hand up to his face. Trembling fingers caressed his jawline, hearts hammering one against each other. Luciano cupped his face, and wetted his lips. Letting out a shaky breath, he closed his eyes.

Kissing Martín was as easy as reaching out and gently pressing their lips together.

 

* * *

 

Luciano got out of his little cabin with his fishing rod in one hand and a bag on his shoulder. He had moved away from town, and had built his little house in the middle of a dessert beach all by himself. He wasn't far away from town - a couple of minutes walk -, but it was far enough to give him the privacy he wanted.

He stretched lazily and raised his head to the sun in the clear sky, feeling the warmth on his face. He let out a sigh, and took a deep breath of clean air as a smile spread across his face. He walked down the beach, bare feet sinking in the warm sand, and gently places his things on the old family boat. On his boat - his mother still lived in town, but his father had passed away years ago, leaving to him most of his belongings. He pushed it to the water, climbed over it, and then started rowing into the open sea.

When he found what he thought seemed like a nice fishing spot, he let his rows on the floor of the boat, and looked through his bag for his fishing supplies. As he did, he felt his boat give a strong sway. He smiled to himself.

"You woke up early today," he said and turned around.

A blond merman smirked smugly back at him from the gunwale, chin resting on crossed forearms.

"I was lonely," Martín said. "You left bed without giving me a good morning kiss."

"You were asleep," Luciano defended himself. "And you don't ever kiss me goodbye when you sneak out of bed in the middle of the night."

A wide amused smile spread across Martín's face.

"What makes you think I don't?"

"Do you really?" Luciano snorted sceptically at him.

"You're heavy sleeper," Martín shrug it off.

He let go of the boat and gracefully let himself sink under the water. He reappeared in front of Luciano, clinging to the boats gunwale and tilting just slightly Luciano's boat with his body weight.

"I want my good morning kiss," Martín demanded.

"All sailors know not to give into a mermaid's charms," Luciano teased with a smile.

"Oh, but you see, you should willingly give into my charms," Martín replied just as playfully. "Or else, I'll be force to flip your silly little boat over and claim my prize."  
Luciano dropped his smile.

"No," he said with wide eyes. "You said you wouldn't do it ever again. You gave me your word, Martín, you said you would leave my boat alone."

Martín laughed.

"Is really a kiss worth the risk?" he asked.

Luciano rolled his eyes.

"You're a child sometimes," he huffed.

He reached out, and gently pressed their lips together. He kissed him, tenderly and sweetly. Martín smiled into the kiss, and opened his mouth to him as he cupped Luciano's face.

Luciano didn't realise Martín had pulled him into the water until he was gasping and coughing for air.

"You promised-!" he coughed.

Martín laughed again.

"I never promised to leave you alone," he pointed with a smug smirk as he lazily floated on his back.

Luciano glared at him, chin barely above the water, eyelashes dripping wet and soaked curls falling over his eyes. Martín gave him an amused smile, and dunk in the water. The last thing Luciano saw of him was a big strong tail splashing.

"Quit playing around, you big fish," he rolled his eyes. "I got work to do, you kno-mmh!"

Martín popped out of the water right in his face and shut his mouth with a kiss. A very wet, very warm, very open kiss. Luciano let out a surprised yelp, but relaxed at the feeling of Martín's lips over his. He tilted his head to the side and kissed him back. He rested his hands on Martín shoulders, letting him do the work of keep them afloat - it was amazing how effortlessly Martín could support both their weights, how Luciano could feel each stroke of his powerful tail on the hands resting on his shoulders, on the light sway of their bodies.

Martín smiled pleased against his mouth, and deepened the kiss. He let his hands roam over Luciano's chest, fingers skimming and open palms feeling up his muscles under his shirt until they reached his hips. Martín massaged his hipbones before closing his hands around them and gently bringing Luciano closer to himself.

Luciano pulled away to breath, and gave him a small smile.

"You had your kiss," he said softly. "Can you take me back to my boat? I have a fishing quota to fill."

Martín pouted, and curled two possessive arms around Luciano's waist as he pressed their bodies further together. He hid his face on Luciano's neck, and started kissing and nibbling at the sensitive skin. Luciano smiled pleased as he felt his cheeks heating up.

"Can't you take a little break?" Martín asked.

Luciano let out a laugh.

"I haven't even started!" he cried.

Martín pouted some more, but relented with a sigh. He swam towards the boat, dragging Luciano with himself. He watched from the water as Luciano climbed back up. Luciano took his soaked shirt off, revealing smooth tanned skin and a seaweed necklace with an old carved seashell hanging loosely against his chest, right above his heart.  
Luciano wrung his shirt out, and then stretched the wet cloth on the seat of the boat, hoping the sun would dry it up soon. Then, he reached a hand towards Martín.  
The merman glared at his hand from the water and grimaced.

"Come on," Luciano gave him an amused yet tender smile. "You'll scare all my fish away in the water, you big monster."

Martín squinted at him, but relented with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. He took Luciano's hand in his, and with one strong flip of his tail and the help of Luciano's pulling hand, he impulsed himself out of the water and into the boat.

The old boat swayed dangerously under the new weight, enough to make Luciano lose his feet and cling to Martín's hand to keep himself from falling to his back into the water.

Be careful, Martín!" he yelped.

Martín rolled his eyes at him again, and huffed. His long silver tail hanged from the gunwale, half of it still hidden underwater. Luciano watched Martín pull it into the boat; it was like watching a gigantic silver snake slide into his boat.

Luciano had to admit the merman sprawled in his boat was quite a sight; it looked almost like Martín glowed with the sun, smooth pale skin and silver scales shimmering under the sunlight. Luciano would have found the whole picture dazzling, if it wasn't for Martín's deep frown and pouty lips.

"I hate it out here," he heard him mumble in a huff.

Luciano sat in front of him, and started preparing his bait with expert fingers.

"Really?" he replied with a small smile on his face. "I thought you didn't mind to be out of the water."

"Not when we're on land," Martín pursed his lips. "But _this_ , this feels stupid."

Luciano hadn't thought about it, but he guessed Martín was right. Floating away from the water when he was a sea creature probably was a little awkward to him. What would a mermaid want a boat for?

He would have kindly pointed Martín was free to leave and swim where ever he wanted if the boat bothered him so much, but he knew it would be a mistake to do so; Martín would most probably get offended.

"I'll make it up to you after I get some fish," he promised. "Oh, by the way, here."

Luciano grabbed his shirt and threw it at Martín, who caught the cloth mid air and raised a golden eyebrow at him in a silent question.

"You'll be changing you tail in no time," Luciano explained as he went back working.

With the years, Martín's transformation took less time to happen. Years ago, when he first started changing, it had taken him hours under the burning sun to get his legs. Nowadays, ten minutes out of the water were enough to do the trick. Luciano suspected that was his body fitting to its needs, remembering stimulations and accelerating responses. Martín liked to think he was getting the hang of it.

Martín took the shirt between his hands, and then hang it on the gunwale.

"How prudish," he snorted.

It was Luciano's turn to roll his eyes.

"We're alone here, and you're bored and horny-"

"Excuse _you_?"

"-and I'm busy and I have work to do. I don't want you getting any wrong ideas."

"You'll be the one getting all kind of wrong ideas when I change my tail for those silly legs you fancy so much," Martín replied offended, raising his chin and looking away like a defiant child.

"Don't flatter yourself," Luciano snorted, even though deep down he knew Martín was probably right.

He studied the work on his hands, and after nodding to himself, he threw the bait to the water. He then proceeded to stand up and carefully make his way to Martín.

"Come on, move aside," he ordered as he gave a pat the side of his tail.

Martín let out a sigh and rolled his eyes, but he did scoot aside. Luciano dropped himself to his side and cuddled next to Martín, who curled one arm around his shoulders and brought him closer to his body. Luciano rested his head against his shoulder, and smiled when he felt Martín's lips on his forehead.

"Why don't you throw your net and let me draw the fish to your trap?" Martín offered. "It'll faster."

"Let the fisherman do the fishing," Luciano sing-sang.

Martín raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"You didn't bring the net, did you?"

"I might have forgotten it at home," Luciano answered cheerfully.

Martín rolled his eyes at him and let out a deep sigh.

"Then we'll be out here all day," he whined.

A small smile spread across Luciano's face. He reached out, and placed a gentle kiss on the side of Martín's lips. He cuddled closer to his body and hugged his waist.

"That's fine by me," he said with a sappy smile spreading across his face.

After all, he had everything he wanted right there.


	2. Epilogue: Between the waters and the sun

A lonely tumbling figure walked by the sea, wobbling and tumbling with each footstep as the moon and the stars up in the night sky illuminated his way. 

Luciano sang to himself, dragging the words of the song and his feet through the sand as he headed home with a half empty bottle in his right hand. He let his feet carry him aimlessly - he was pissed drunk, but he knew there was no way he would get lost if he followed the sea. He had spent God knew how many hours and how much money in town, getting as much alcohol into his body as possible, before deciding it was time he returned home. 

So there he was, walking and singing and laughing to himself. 

He looked over the ocean, and a stupid smile spread across his lips. 

Luciano loved the sea. Had always loved it. Wide, wild, and generous, it had always been a second home to fisherman. It had always been a second home to him. The waves brushed gently into the shore, almost as if luring him in a playful shameless way. 

Luciano stopped walking, and stared at the sea. It was calling for him, wasn't it? Staring at him, flirting at him. Beautiful, warm, strong, a patient lover waiting for him to join him... 

The sea was calling for him. And who was Luciano to reject the mighty ocean? 

With his bottle in hand and no doubt in his mind, Luciano made his way into the water. He walked as far into it as he could, closed his eyes and raise his head to the sky with a smile as he felt the water clash against him, wrapping around him. 

See, the sea had been calling for him. 

A weak drunk chuckled escaped his lips before a wave swallowed him whole. 

Everything went dark and cold, and as he drifted further and further into that void, Luciano hadn't been so grateful for feeling empty and astray before. 

He was brought back to consciousness by warm wet lips. 

" _Breathe_ , dammit!" a furious voice hissed. 

Luciano coughed the water out of his lungs, his whole body shaking violently as his throat burnt. He managed to roll to his side just in time to throw up sea water and alcohol in the sand at his side and not all over himself. He breathed heavily in place, shaking slightly, trying to regain control over his body. He rolled to his back again, and blinked to the dark night sky. Everything was a little blurry, but soon he started making out a figure in the white moon light. 

It was the second time in Luciano's life he had almost drowned in the sea to wake up to piercing green eyes glaring furiously at him. 

"Are you out of your mind?!" Martín exploded enraged. "You don't come back home, get me worried sick for hours and then this?! If I hadn't been in the right moment, if I hadn't being here... I had to drag you out of the water and push air into your lungs! You weren't breathing, Luciano!" 

Martín kept on his furious rant, but Luciano was to out of it to listen to him; his mind refused to cooperate and there was a light ringing in his ears. 

"… and you're not even listening to me!" 

Martín punched his shoulder, hard. Luciano let out a weak groan, and finally looked at him. 

"What is wrong with you?" Martín demanded. "Getting into the sea in the night, alone, what were you thinking?!" 

"I... I-I was thinking of you," Luciano blurted out a little disoriented. 

That soften Martín expression, but only slightly; the furious fire in his eyes receded, but the corner of his mouth remained curved downsides. A frown and pursed lips didn't suit him, Luciano decided. 

"Me?" Martín repeated, still a little coldly. "Thinking of me makes you want to die? Because that's what you almost did tonight, Luciano." 

Luciano looked down like a scolded child. 

"I didn't mean to..." he whispered lamely in his defence. 

They remained quiet as the waves crash gently against them, sea foam tangling around them. Luciano wandered how could had Martín dragged him to shore, when the merman had a hard time getting himself to land. 

"God, you're a mess," Martín whispered. "Come on, let me help you sit up." 

Luciano couldn't really argue that. He let Martín curl a steady arm behind his back, and he clung to him as he pulled him up from the sand. 

Luciano groaned as the world spun around, and rested his body against Martín's. He opened his eyes with effort and tried to raise his head from Martín's shoulder. His neck didn't seem to be strong enough to support it, so he just rested his forehead against Martín's jaw with a light groan. 

"If you dare puke on me, I'll drag you back to the sea and I'll drown you myself, I swear," Martín threated darkly. 

The idea of going back to the water seemed strangely appealing to Luciano. He didn't say so though, he knew it would earn him another severe scolding from Martín. 

"Come on, lets get you home," Martín said. "Can you get up? I'm not much help right now..." 

Luciano turned his head, barely, and gave a sidelong glance to Martín's long silver tail. It was dark and it didn't look as stunning as it usually did; his scaled shimmered faintly under the moonlight, lacking half the magic the sunlight worked on it. 

"Luciano?" 

"I just wanna lay here..." Luciano replied softly, and closed his eyes. 

"You are not sleeping here," Martín said severely. 

Luciano ignored him, and let out a deep sigh. 

"Come on, Luciano," Martín shock him gently. "We can't spent the night here like this. You'll get sick." 

Luciano didn't move. God, was he tired. 

"I don't care," he replied weakly. 

"Well, I care," Martín replied seriously. He looked around them. "Maybe if we get further into the beach and out of the ocean's reach, we can wait until I- _well, well_ , look at that..." 

With great effort, Luciano opened his eyes to look down. He frowned slightly to himself. 

"Are those legs...?" 

He stared at Martín's lower half. His human lower half. 

"They sure look like them," Martín replied with a little smirk curving the corner of his lips. 

Luciano gave him a puzzled look. 

"How did you...?" 

"I told you I was getting better at it," Martín gave him a proud little smirk. 

He helped Luciano up, and half carried him half dragged him through the beach to their little cabin. It was late night – or perhaps early morning, Luciano couldn't be sure – but he wondered what would anybody think if they saw them; a tall gorgeous naked man caring through the beach a drunk half-conscious man. 

Once they arrived their small home, Martín undressed Luciano with tender lingering hands and tucked him to bed. Luciano couldn't bring himself to mind. He let Martín treat him like some sleepy child past his bedtime hour. His only response was to cuddled closer to Martín with a sigh as he laid by his side and pulled Luciano into his arms. 

He drifted into sleep like that. 

Luciano woke up a couple of hours later. He still rested against Martín, who was soundly asleep by his side. He carefully got out of his embrace, and sneaked from bed. He got dressed and got out of his cabin; blue and orange and white danced with the dawn in the sky. It still was too early, even for a morning bird as Luciano. 

He walked through the dark beach, and dropped on his butt in the soft sand. The waves gently brushed the shore, sea foam stretching barely away from his naked feet. With his head clear from alcohol – but throbbing with a hungover -, he pursed his lips as the ocean calling at him again almost flirty. He wasn't falling for it this time. 

His expression soften when a wave brushed his bottle – the one he had just lost after almost drowning - into shore to sunk in the wet sand. Luciano accepted the peace offer; he took his bottle, pulled the cork out with his teethe, and took a deep sip. The drink burnt down his throat as he let a sigh. 

It was then that Luciano felt a hand burying in his hair, fingers gently grasping his dark curls. Luciano wasn't even surprised by the sudden touch; he raised his head to find Martín staring at the sea by his side. 

"Mind some company?" Martín looked down at him with green guarded eyes. 

Luciano looked back to the ocean and gave a little shrug. Martín sat by his side, bringing his knees to his chest and curling his arms around his legs. They sat side by side, silently watching the sea as the sun rose in the horizon. 

"Will you tell me what's gotten into you?" Martín spoke softly, but Luciano could still hear the disapproving steel note in his voice. 

Luciano was not sure he wanted to go there. 

"Come on, talk to me, Luciano," Martín insisted. "What's wrong?" 

"My mother," Luciano whispered. "She passed away this morning." 

He could feel Martín's whole body tensing up besides him, could hear him sucking in his breath in surprise. Martín quietly curled his arms around him, and held him close. He didn't speak a word, for what Luciano was grateful. He really didn't want to go through this again. He had had enough people feeling sorry for him and talking about his mother through the day. He need some rest from the pain, some air to ease the ache before going back to mourning her, missing her. 

Martín closed his eyes and began to sing in a very low whisper. 

Luciano couldn't understand a word; the sea people's language would always be a mystery for him - he had tried, so many years ago, but it had seem a tongue not meant for humans. But he didn't really need understand words, not when the music sunk in his heart heavily. 

Martín's voice tangled with the sound of the waves gently brushing the sand, coming and going with the same soft calmness. Listening to them – to Martín's quiet voice and the monotonous ocean – drove Luciano into semi-consciousness. He closed his eyes and rested against Martín too. He let his song push into him, to open up his still throbbing wound and meddle between torn bleeding flesh. It hurt, it hurt to have her mother's ghost brought back to him, and a small sob escaped Luciano's lips. Martín pushed him closer to his body, but didn't interrupted himself; he kept singing, until Luciano's pain eased to a bruise like sensation over his heart. Tight and unsettling, but not half as piercing as before. 

Martín was singing for his mother, singing for him. He was mourning for both of them. 

When the last word of his song left Martín's lips, none of them moved. They remained quiet, pressed one so close to the other staring at the sea. Martín kept his eyes closed, didn't looked at Luciano as he smoothed the dry tears on his face. 

Luciano sniffed, and took a deep shaky breath before speaking again. 

"Thanks," he whispered. "That was nice... thank you..." 

He felt at ease. He could still feel a swollen painful sensation right over his heart, but he didn't feel not lost and helpless anymore. All he wanted now was to let go of her, hope time would heal the wound with the dawn of another day in life. 

Martín raised his head. His green clear eyes were as calm as the ocean. 

"You're welcome," he gave him a small sad smile. 

Luciano looked down. He let out a tired sigh, and with all the determination his tired mind let him, he took his bottle and raised to the ocean. He watched the sun rise in the sky for a moment, and after dedication his toast to his mother, he took a long sip. 

When Luciano put the bottle down, he couldn't help to notice Martín curiously staring at him from the corner of his eye. Without a word, he passed the bottle to him. Martín took it and smelled the mouth of the bottle cautiously. He imitated Luciano and took a shy sip. 

The smallest smile curved Luciano's lips when Martín choked over the burning drink. He gently took the bottle from him and he caressed his back, hand smoothly sliding up and down as Martín coughed the drink out. 

"W-What was it?" he managed to ask. 

Luciano looked down at the bottle in his hand, and gave a small shrug. 

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly; he had lost count of all the things he had coaxed into his system the last few hours. 

He took another long sip, and Martín stared at him cautiously before uncertainly taking back the bottle and gave it another try. 

Barely a couple of minutes after that, Luciano had never seen anyone get drunk so fast in his life. 

It had taken less than half a bottle to get Martín to bubble nonsense. This was Martín's first time with alcohol - Luciano didn't usually drink, and when he did, he would usually go to town with his friends. He had never introduced Martín to alcohol, never had the need nor the will to do so; it had seemed pointless and dangerous, and to be honest maybe it hadn't even crossed his mind. 

So maybe Luciano shouldn't had been half as surprised that after a couple of sip, Martín cuddled against him mumbling nonsense. 

"… and the other day I was thinking, what happens if I put one foot in the water but let the other out of it, uh?" he explained Luciano quietly, worriedly. "Do I get half my tail, or a whole tail but the leg staying out of the water stays stuck coming out a side?" 

"That sounds disgusting, actually," Luciano pointed almost kindly. 

"I know, I wouldn't try it," Martín nodded in agreement in a very serious tone. "You know what else I've been wondering?" 

"You do an awful lot of thinking for a fish..." 

Martín ignored him. 

"Why don't you get a tail when you go into the water..." 

"Me?" Luciano raised his eyebrows in sincere surprise. "A tail?" 

Martín nodded as a lazy smile curved his lips. 

"Yeah, it makes sense, right?" he said. "If I get feet, you should get a tail. It's only fair." 

"I don't think it works that way..." 

"It should. You could use a tail, I bet you would look really good, better even," he replied, and before Luciano could complain about looking perfect in two feet, Martín's eyes went wide with a little gasp. "Unless you humans are just dumb mermaids that got stuck in land and are stranded... Maybe you're just broken..." 

"Or maybe humans are just humans, smart enough to build boats to travel the sea instead of wait and hope for nature to get its hands in the matter," Luciano rolled his eyes. "Unlike you." 

Martín didn't listen to him. 

"That's so sad, Luciano," he said, and he looked truly and utterly devastated by the thought. "Aren't you sad? Mermaids belong to the sea..." 

"Humans are not 'broken mermaids', Martín..." 

"… Don't you miss home?" he insisted. "Don't you miss the sea?" 

Luciano opened his mouth to reply, feeling a little too irritated with this whole mermaid-human nonsense - he was not some dumb mermaid, and he was not broken -, but the words stuck in his throat with Martín weak whisper; 

"I do miss the sea," Martín faced toward the horizon with sad longing eyes. 

Luciano had to laugh at that. It was a chocked shaky sound that sounded wrong, but it was all he had for the time being. 

"We _live_ by the sea, you idiot..." 

Martín raised his head from his shoulder and tried to frown at him - flushed cheeks and unfocused cloudy eyes ruining the effect. The sudden change startled Luciano a bit. 

"That's barely the sea!" Martín complained as he pursed his lips offended. "There's so much to see, Luciano! My kind has travelled all around the ocean for millenniums and yet we've still got so much more to discover! But I can't go nowhere with you stuck in this silly little beach, with your silly little cabin, and your silly little boat... your silly little town and your silly little life..." 

He trailed off as he sleepily dropped his head on his shoulder and hid his face in his neck. He mumbled some more, and lazily kissed every inch of available skin, his lips almost acting in reflex at the feeling of Luciano's warm skin. 

Luciano was to surprise to Martín's soft lips distract him. 

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" he demanded as he looked down at him in surprise. "I though you liked it here!" 

Martín chuckled and gave him a lazy flirty smile. 

"Well, I like _you_ ," he whispered seductively as he scooted a little closer, kissing and nibbling gently and insistently at Luciano's neck, hands beginning to roam over Luciano's body. 

"That's not what I asked," Luciano said as he tried to push him off himself. This was serious, and that drunk idiot was being ridiculous. "I mean it, you drunk sardine..." 

"I mean it to!" Martín laughed, a silly bubbly sound. He bit his neck, teeth gently dragging over sensitive skin, and whispered with a smile on his lips; "I love you, Luciano." 

"I know that. I love you too," Luciano replied impatiently, and could feel his face warming up slightly. "Come on, Martín, you can't say stuff like that and then pretend it's no big deal..." 

He could, apparently, since Martín let out a little chuckled and cuddled closer to him. He closed his eyes, and with a content sigh drifted into sleep, much to Luciano's dismay. 

He would wake up next morning with a massive headache and no memories whatsoever, and would blamed Luciano for it. 

"You did this to me," he had whined. "You poisoned me." 

And Luciano had laughed at that. 

"This," he had explained. "It's called a hangover, and it happens to the men who think they can drink. Or in your case, to the mermaids who play sailors." 

Martín had spat an insult that Luciano didn't quite catch, or that might not had been Portuguese all together. 

 

* * * 

 

The days after Luciano's mother's death were hard. But days soon turned into weeks, and weeks into months. With time, the wound stopped bleeding, and soon turned into a scar; the pain was gone, but the mark lingered, a rough tight fissure on Luciano's heart just by the scrape of his father's death. Every now and then he hurt, but he was at ease. 

At least, he was at ease with his loss, since there was another thing that kept Luciano uneasy whenever his mind wasn't busy with other matters and awake when he got in bed with Martín. 

Martín was unhappy by his side. 

He _had_ said so, that night they had gotten drunk together in the beach. Had implied it, at least. 'I miss the sea', he had said with sad voice, 'I can't go nowhere with you stuck in this silly little beach'. 

Luciano tried to ignored it. Specially because if Martín truly was unhappy, he certainly didn't show it at all; he always seemed so content to see Luciano, to just be by his side – except when they fought, which happened quite frequently but it didn't count since they usually made up after some minutes of fusing and pouting. So Luciano tried to convince himself it was no big deal, that it all had been the alcohol running through Martín's veins. It all had been a drunk man's nonsense. 

And yet, his words haunted Luciano, grew deeper and bigger inside his chest like a throbbing burning flame with each passing day. 

 

* * * 

 

"We should go see the whales, before they leave." 

Luciano let out a deep tired sigh. He stopped trying to pull back up his boat the heavy net he had thrown out in the sea hours ago, and turned around to find Martín smiling brightly at him from the edge of his old rowboat. 

"I can't," Luciano let out a long sad sigh. "I haven't fished anything yet." 

He had spent the whole day, stuck in his little boat, and still he hadn't even caught a fish. The last past days had been pretty much the same. Luciano was starting to feel a little desperate for catching some fish. He needed to sell his fish if he wanted to live. 

"Come on, Luciano," Martín teased, the boat swaying slightly with one strong flip of his tail. "You're always fishing..." 

"That's what we fishermen do, Martín." 

"Well, that's sad," he replied. "There's so much more in life than just fish..." 

Luciano frowned at him a little offended. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," he snapped. "Not all of as can slack around like you." 

Martín didn't take his words half as bad as Luciano had wished. 

"You'd be surprised by all the incredible stuff I do on my own," he replied puffing his chest proudly. 

"Oh, yes, I can imagine," Luciano rolled his eyes. "What a thrilling life you must have..." 

This time, Martín did frown and purse his lips, if even slightly. He let go of the boat, and swam around it, floating on his back as he swam backwards. His tail shimmered brightly with each one of his small lazy flaps, slight glimpses of light-blue against silver of his scales playing with the waves and the sunlight. 

"Beats yours," he huffed. He swam towards the boat again, gripping the edge, hugging the gunwale against his chest as he lift himself half out of the water settling himself by Luciano's side. "You do realise you are stressed because you haven't caught more fish than you can eat, right? Tell me, doesn't that sound ridiculous to you?" 

"I don't want to eat this fish, I want to sell it," Luciano replied angrily. "I get fish, I sell fish, I got money. That's how the world works, you know it." 

"Not my world," Martín objected. 

"Well, not all of us live like wild little creatures," Luciano snapped back at him. "If I want to eat, I have to pay for it. If I want to live, I have to work." 

"You see, that's the problem with you humans and your useless rules," Martín let out an annoyed sigh. "Why, oh why, do you like to complicate your silly little lives so much?" 

Luciano could feel the blood in his veins boil. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," he spat venomously. "I'm sorry some of us have silly little lives! I'm sorry I'm not interesting enough for you! I'm sorry you're stuck with me!" 

Martín eyes grew wide. He gave Luciano a confused glance, and then frowned. 

"What? What does that even-? I never said that!" 

But Luciano couldn’t hear him. 

"I'm sorry falling in love with a human wasn't half as fun as you expected," he continued. "Have I bored you already, Martín? Isn't there anything else you would like to take from me? Maybe you'd rather leave?" 

Martín looked startled, and hurt. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?! I never-" 

"Nothing's wrong with me!" Luciano growled. "You're the one with the problem! You're the one who doesn't want to be here! 

"I never said that!" Martín complained, too puzzled to even fight back. "Where did you even get that from?!" 

"Don't you even try lie to me..." Luciano hissed. 

"I'm not!" 

"You don't lie to me!" Luciano rose his voice to a shout. "I know, Martín, you don't lie to me! If you don't want to be here, leave! There's nothing keeping you stranded in this boring little side of the world!" 

Martín's eyes flashed like a wild fire before going ice cold. It was bad, Luciano knew, but he was so full of anger he couldn't bring himself to care. 

"Isn't it?" he asked. 

Another wave of fire burned inside Luciano. 

"No! I'm not stopping you!" 

Martín glared at him, green eyes fired with piercing fury. Without a word, he let go of the boat, and jumped into the water. The last Luciano saw of him, was a silver tail splashing angrily and a long lean shadow disappearing into the blue depths. 

Luciano stared angrily at the sea, before dropping himself on the boat's seat, growling and pulling at his hair as he lowered his head between his knees with a whimper. 

 

* * * 

 

Martín didn't show up the day after that, neither did he the following days. Luciano pretended he didn't mind. He didn't want to give Martín the pleasure of moping, since  he knew that was Martín's intention. He didn't care, Martín could never return that he was fine with it, he told himself. And yet, every evening when he came back home from the sea, he couldn't help to look over to the clothes they had always left hanging in the porch for Martín, hoping to find them gone one day and to find Martín inside their little cabin, waiting for him. 

After the first week, Luciano's anger receded, and only then he realised what he had done. This was his fault, wasn't it? He was sure it was. He had been so unfair to Martín. He shouldn't have lashed out at him. He guessed he couldn't really blame him if he never came back. Not when he was unhappy by Luciano's side. Not when Luciano said all the things he had said. 

It was during the second week of waiting that Luciano retrieved Martín's clothes for the porch and went to town to get pissed drunk, and it was the sixteenth noon since their fight that Luciano returned home to find Martín sleeping in his bed, curved around himself. 

Luciano stood there, frozen as he stared at Martín naked body with wide eyes. A small choked gasp escaped his lips, and his whole body finally relaxed - he hadn't realized he had been so tense over the last two weeks. 

Without making a sound, he got out of his clothes and laid by Martín's side as gently as he could; Martín had always been a light sleeper, and Luciano wasn't sure he wanted to wake him up. 

He really wasn't ready to talk to him yet. 

So he just laid there, in front of Martín, watching him dream, breathing peacefully. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch him, fearing it would wake him up. It was something Luciano didn't usually get to see, Martín sleeping; Martín would barely need a couple of hours of sleep per night and would usually leave bed to go back to the sea in the middle of the night. The little times Luciano woke up to find him still laying by his side, Martín would usually wake up as soon as Luciano left the bed, blaming him of waking him up. 

Luciano didn't get to see Martín sleep often, and it suddenly hit him, than maybe this was just a dream. That maybe Martín wasn't dreaming by his side. That maybe Martín was still out on the sea, miles away from him happier than ever. 

And maybe he had breathed too deeply, let out his breath too fast, maybe he had stared too hard, but suddenly Martín's eyes snapped opened like someone had called his name. His pupils stared right into Luciano without actually seeing him, until his eyes got used to the darkness and they finally found Luciano's. 

Luciano could feel his heart shrink under his gaze. He didn't dare to move, nor speak. Martín stared quietly at him. Then, he gently cupped his face, and let his hands roam on his face, fingertips tracing his factions. Without a word, he reached forward to kiss him. 

It was a light peck that Luciano didn't dare to deepen. 

When Martín pulled away, he took a deep shaky breath, and spoke; 

"I'm sorry," he stuttered quietly. "I really am. I'm sorry I snapped at you, and I'm sorry I-" 

Martín gently slid his thumb to Luciano's lips again. Luciano remained quiet, obediently. 

"It's ok," Martín whispered. "I'm sorry too." 

Luciano pulled Martín to himself, hugged his waist and hid his face on his neck. Martín curled his arms around him too, gentle hands smoothing Luciano's back. 

"I missed you," Luciano breathed against his skin, and his chest tightened up as he held back a 'I thought you weren't coming back to me'. 

"I missed you too," Martín replied, his voice as sad and quiet as Luciano. "I'm sorry, Luciano, I missed you too." 

Luciano raised his head and caught Martín's lips on his. They kissed some more, and God, Luciano was so thankful to have him back. To have him here, with him, pressed against his body. 

Martín cuddled against him, tangling their legs and cuddling against the whole between his neck and shoulder with a sigh. Luciano held him close, felt him slowly drift back to sleep. He closed his eyes, fingertips absently skimming over Martín's soft skin. 

The ease of having Martín back didn't last long in Luciano's head, as a ghost came back with Martín to haunt Luciano's mind. 

"Martín?" he called softly. 

Martín barely shifted around his arms, cuddling closer. 

"Mmmh?" was his sleepy response. 

Luciano took a deep shaky breath, eyelashes fluttering down as his hands ran up and down Martín's broad back. 

"Are you happy here? With me?" 

Martín pulled slightly away so he could meet Luciano's eyes. He stared back at him. 

"I came back, didn't I?" he pointed. 

"Yes, but you are happy, right?" Luciano insisted. "There's nothing else you'd rather be, not even a little?" 

Martín kissed him then. 

"I love you, Luciano," he said, his serious face so close to Luciano's. "There's not a thing in the world that could change that." 

Martín gave him a weak smile, and cuddled against him again with a content sigh. Luciano hugged him closer, and dropped the subject. He didn't need to ask for a proper direct answer, after all. Not when Martín so pointedly avoided answering his question. 

 

* * * 

 

It had taken Luciano time. It had taken him time, and work, and it had been harder than he had expected, but he had made it. 

Luciano couldn't say he was doing a good job at being secretive. He knew he wasn't doing a good job, as of course Martín did. 

"Where are we going?" Martín asked for the fourth time, only to receive a mysterious smile from Luciano also for the fourth time. 

They were walking in town, side by side. Luciano still tried to avoid mixing Martín with other humans; Martín had proven to be good keeping up appearances among the villagers even at a young age, but Luciano couldn't completely feel comfortable knowing he was putting Martín's life in risk. Not at least, after their rain accident what it seemed a lifetime ago. 

This time, though, it couldn't be help. Not at, least, for what Luciano had planned. 

"Come on, aren't you really gonna tell?" Martín insisted. 

"We're almost there," Luciano promised with a smile. 

They headed together to the town's docks. Martín followed quietly, looking the fisherman passing by almost cautiously; Luciano couldn't blame him, not when sailors and mermaids seemed to be natural enemies and Luciano had just dragged him into the lion's den. 

So he gave Martín a reassuring smile, and stopped by a small old ship with a single mast and two sails. 

"So?" he asked, as he gestured towards it with enthusiasm. 

A light frown spread across Martín's features as he studied the small vessel. 

"What's this?" 

"It's a ship!" 

Martín frowned. 

"Is it though?" he mumbled. 

Luciano laughed Martín's bad-intentioned comment off. 

"Show some respect, you're talking to an elderly lady here." 

"I can see that," Martín replied. "It looks like-Luciano, what are you doing?" 

He was jumping into the small vessel, that was what he was doing. Luciano turned around with a wide smile, and reached a hand towards him. 

"Come on," he called. "You're carriage awaits, my lady." 

Martín looked around, eyes quickly scanning the docks. He ignored Luciano's hand almost offensively and jumped into the ship. He looked around quietly, and then looked at Luciano. 

"Are we stealing a boat, Luciano?" 

He didn't seem to be specially scandalized by the idea, just slightly curious. Perhaps a little too curious – Luciano would had to had a few words with him about it later. 

"Of course not!" Luciano let out a chuckle. "Come on, let me show you around first!" 

Luciano guided Martín below decks; some narrowed stairs lead them to a small room in which Martín could barely fully stand without a slight bend of the head. It was equipped with basic needs; it had a wide bed with some sheets, a little rusty stove, a couple of wall cabinets stored with pans and pots and dishes, a wardrobe, a wooden chest, a table, and a lonely oil lantern hanging from the ceiling. 

"This is where our tour begins!" Luciano beamed. "Aaaand also where ends. What you get is what you see. Don't you love her?" 

Martín raised a dismissive golden eyebrow. 

"Luciano, I've explored steadier boats in shipwrecks in the ocean's depths with my cousins when I was a child..." 

"Oh, you're over reacting," Luciano rolled his eyes at him. "She just needs a little work, that's all." 

" _A little?_ " Martín looked around him as he wrinkled his nose.  

Luciano ignored him this time. 

"Well, I think she's perfect," he replied proudly. 

Martín pursed his lips and held back what Luciano was sure was another ill-intention comment. 

"I'm surprised it's still afloat, I'll give you that," he said instead. 

That as much as positive feedback Luciano was getting from him. 

"Can I take it as you like her then?" he asked. 

Martín sighed. 

"If you're happy with it, then so am I," he relented, and added under his breath. "It's not like I'll be the one in trouble when it sinks." 

Luciano gave him a wide bright smile. 

"Great!" he beamed. "'Cause I sold the house for this bad girl here." 

Martín stared at him with wide eyes. 

"You did what?" he asked. 

"Sold the house," Luciano repeated. "For the ship." 

Martín remained quiet for some brief astonished seconds. 

"Where do you expect us to live now?" 

"Here!" Luciano gestured around with open arms. "Welcome home!" 

Martín looked around, and then at Luciano. 

"Are you serious?" 

Luciano's smile faltered and he dropped his arms down. 

"Yeah," he said uncertainly, and frowned a little confused. "I thought you'll like it..." 

"Why?" Martín stared at him with round confused eyes. 

"I thought... I thought that we could travel the world, you know," he said, looking away a little disappointed. "I mean, I know I'm not supposed to bring it up, but you did said you missed the sea, so..." 

Martín remained speechless. If anything, his eyes only grew wider. 

"You did this for me?" 

"I'm sorry, I honestly thought you would like it," Luciano replied heartbrokenly. " I thought maybe we could...I mean, there's nothing left in town for me now, and I thought we could just go wherever we wanted, just the two of us..." 

Martín took Luciano's face between his hands, and clashed their lips together. The wet open kiss he gave him turned the blood in Luciano's vein into fire and twisted something in his belly. Before he could properly answer back, Martín pulled away with a loud laugh. 

"Are we really doing this?" Martín beamed, hands still clasping Luciano's face, green bright eyes sparkling inches away from Luciano. 

Luciano blinked, and nodded his head with a weak uncertain 'yes'. 

Martín laughed and kissed him again. This time, Luciano was a little more prepared and kissed him back properly. 

Before things got a little too hot – which was a pity, since Luciano couldn't think of a better way to start their lives out in the seas than having sex in their new ship - Martín pulled away again. 

"When are we leaving?" he asked, his voice breathless and eager. 

Luciano had to laugh at him. 

"There's a couple of things I still need to arrange, but in a couple of days?" he answered. "I'll have to teach you to sail, though. I could use a couple of extra hands on deck." 

Martín pulled him for another hungry kiss, and Luciano was sure he had never made a better inversion in his whole life. Martín pressed against him, and pushed him towards the bed. Luciano felt flat on his back on the mattress, and Martín climbed over him, restless lips kissing every inch of naked skin almost desperately. 

Luciano couldn't say he minded – since he didn't in the sightless -, but Martín's enthusiasm brought a laugh out of him. 

"I'm guessing it was a good idea, then?" he asked. 

Martín grabbed his chin, and planted a firm loud kiss on his lips. 

"The best idea you've ever had," he replied breathlessly. 

Luciano chuckled, and bit the smile spreading across his lips as Martín buried his face on his neck, kissing and nibbling sensitive skin while his hands worked on Luciano's clothes, pulling and unbuttoning as his hands made their way to his naked skin. 

"So, where do you wanna go first?" Luciano teased. 

Martín pulled away from him. He cupped his face again, gently pulling Luciano's dark wild curls off his forehead. 

"Anywhere. Everywhere," he replied instantly, all green bright eyes and red swollen lips. He gave Luciano a bright, blushed, gorgeous smile. 

Luciano returned his smile. 

"Between the waters and the sun..." he whispered, and brought his lips to Martín's in a tender kiss.


End file.
